PARK CITY, Utah, Sept. 4, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Park City boy has been referred to juvenile court after officials say he made online threats Thursday about “shooting up” Ecker Hill Middle School at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
The 13-year-old boy allegedly posted his comments on Instagram, and it was reported to the the Summit County Sheriff’s Office by “multiple astude parents and students,” a statement from the SCSO says.
“Deputies immediately began working with Park City School District administrators to attempt to find the juvenile(s) responsible for the posts,” the statement says. “Deputies worked diligently through the night, using investigative techniques, and located the responsible juvenile at 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2020.
“The juvenile, a 13-year-old male from Park City, told investigators his threats were meant as a joke. It was determined that the juvenile did not have the means to carry out his threat(s).”
The boy was referred to Third District Juvenile Court for the offense of Threats of Violence, the statement says.
“We remind all parents to regularly monitor their children’s social media platforms, teach them about proper and acceptable use of social media, and to report any threats of violence, bullying or other criminal activity,” the statement continues.
“The Summit County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats to our schools seriously and will thoroughly investigate and hold responsible any person who purports threats of violence or criminal activity.”
