UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 27, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A 21-year-old Utah County man has been arrested after he allegedly threatened a school shooting if the tablet he was selling online was not bought.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Matthew Brooksby, from Pleasant Grove, is facing a charge of threat of terrorism, a second-degree felony.
“An ad was placed on the KSL classifieds website for a tablet being sold by Matthew Brooksby,” the probable cause statement said. “In this ad, Matthew stated that ‘If this tablet isn’t sold within 24 hours I will use my gun and shoot up the classrooms at Timpanogos High School I just want my tablet sold.'”
The phone number that was associated with the ad was traced to Brooksby’s home, the statement said. Brooksby initially told officers that he did place an ad on KSL to sell a tablet, but he did not make the threats. Officers at that time did not arrest Brooksby, the statement said.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Brooksby’s grandfather contacted Orem Police Department stating that he had spoken with Brooksby throughout the night about the seriousness of the crime, and Brooksby did confess to writing the threat on KSL.
Officers returned to the home and spoke with Brooksby and his grandfather. Officers read Brooksby his Miranda Rights, and the suspect admitted that he did make the threat to shoot up Timpanogos High School if the tablet was not sold.
“Matthew understood that it was wrong and a crime to do so,” the statement said.
Brooksby was transported to the Utah County Jail with his bail set at $10,000.
