WEST JORDAN, Utah, March 13, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A teenage boy was arrested Tuesday evening after police said he posted a picture of himself holding a gun on social media and indicated he would shoot up a West Jordan middle school.
West Jordan Police spokesman Sgt. J.C. Holt told Gephardt Daily officials received a tip earlier in the evening about an Instagram post by the boy, including a threat toward Joel P. Jensen Middle School, at 8105 S. 3200 West.
Holt said a friend asked in the comments, “Are you going to shoot up the school?” and the boy responded by saying “(expletive) yes” with numerous emojis and the hashtag #joelpjensen. The post has since been removed.
Holt said officers identified the teen, whose age and identity have not been released, went to his home and arrested him. He is currently being questioned and has not been charged yet, Holt added, but criminal charges may be pending.
The boy is not currently enrolled at Joel P. Jensen Middle School, but “he has ties to it,” Holt said.
After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead, Holt said police will take all social media threats “very seriously.”
“The people that make these threats will be aggressively pursued and held responsible,” Holt said. “We don’t think this is a joke. There’s no such thing as a joke in cases like these.”
