SPRINGVILLE, Utah, Feb. 23, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — The Springville Police Department responded to two threats made on social media this week that targeted high school students.
On Thursday, a 17-year-old student was taken into custody after police say he posted threats of violence against the Springville High School. The Snapchat post was sent out at about 5 a.m. SPD officers located the senior at school.
“During an interview with the student, he made the comment that it was only a joke and had no intentions of actually going through with the threat,” a statement from the Springville Police Department says.
“After an interview with the student and a thorough investigation, he was booked into the Slate Canyon Detention Center on multiple charges including terroristic threat.”
Lt. Warren Foster told Gephardt Daily that such “jokes” are not funny, “especially after what happened in Florida.”
On Feb. 14, a student who had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., returned with an assault rifle and used it to kill 17 students and adults, injuring many others, local authorities say. Suspect Eric Cruz faces 17 counts of premeditated murder.
Copycat threats have been reported in schools around the nation since the mass shooting.
Springville police also were on high alert on Wednesday after another social media threat, initially thought to target the school, went viral.
Police quickly discovered that the threat was made against a school in Ohio. The social media poster in that case now faces felony charges.
Regardless, the Springville Police Department increased its presence at Springville High on Thursday, Foster said. That ended up helping police respond to the Snapchat threat made by the local student early that morning.
“The Springville Police Department takes these ‘jokes’ very seriously and tries to act on them quickly to protect the students and staff of our schools and the citizens of our community,” the SPD statement says.
