SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Local, national and international authorities have coordinated to arrest a teenager in the United Kingdom after he allegedly threatened to "shoot up" numerous schools and businesses in Scottsdale, the city's police department said.
The teenager, who is not being identified by authorities, reportedly called and threatened multiple locations in the Valley city on April 8 and April 11, including:
- Scottsdale Preparatory Academy
- Notre Dame Preparatory Academy
- Scottsdale Unified School District Office
- Pima Traditional School
- Hohokam Elementary
- Cheyenne Traditional School
- Cochise Elementary
- Tommy V's
- OHSO Distillery
- Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Police were made aware of each incident and investigated it, the department said. No credible threat was found at any of the locations.
Detectives began investigating the threats and found they shared a common origin, officers said. The department then began to coordinate with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Phoenix and London to track down the caller.
Law enforcement found the teen near Manchester, England and was arrested by UK authorities, police said. The suspect reportedly made other "swatting" calls to Valley businesses over the past several days.
"[The teen] is also accused of possessing indecent images of children and distributing them across the internet," the Scottsdale Police Department said. "He will remain in the United Kingdom and go through the justice system there."
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