PHOENIX — New information has been shared about the arrest of a Sierra Linda High School student. Phoenix Police said the teenage girl claimed the threats made online were meant to be a joke.
"I don't want students to be under some delusion if they create a fake Instagram account or take extra steps to mask the posting they won't be found," Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent, Jeremy Calles said. "Everything leaves a digital footprint."
Less than 24 hours after Sierra Linda High School went on lockdown, an arrest in the case.
"We don't take this lightly," Calles said.
On Wednesday, around 11:00 a.m., Phoenix police were notified about multiple threatening social media posts directed at the school. A closer look at what those posts showed, prompted the lockdown.
"Officers were given information about a list of names on this threat," Sgt. Brian Bower said. "The list of names had a lot of members of the student body. But what made this particular threat even more egregious is the fact there were other photos also posted of the school itself and then there's pictures of an individual carrying a gun in one of the restrooms."
The lockdown lasted about an hour and was lifted without incident. Students though were left shaken after the ordeal. One student told 12News she wasn't sure if she'd be back to school the next day because of what happened. School officials said she wasn't the only one. At least 400 students didn't return to school Thursday because of the lockdown.
Detectives eventually connected the threats to a teenage girl who was a student at the school. On Thursday afternoon, Phoenix Police officers went to her class and arrested the student. She reportedly admitted her involvement and told police it was a joke that got out of hand.
"Because of the nature of the threats and the videos and the pictures posted to it, we felt it was more responsible to ensure the safety of everybody if we got that person into custody as quickly as possible," Sgt. Bower said.
"In terms of the charges we're going after, we're going for the full extent," Calles said. "There are three felony counts that are going to be associated with this along with expulsion. The impact to all of our students, to our community, to our parents that's something we can't erase."
The student was booked into the Juvenile Court Center on multiple felonies including Terroristic Threats, Computer Tampering and disruption of an educational institution. Phoenix Police say in cases like this, there's also a financial consequence as well. Parents may be held financially responsible for the investigation as well as the resources asked to pay for And with the investigation ongoing, officials have a message they want everyone to hear.
"We are serious about safety and we will not take matters like this lightly," Calles said. "We aim to protect all of our staff and students and we'll take every necessary precaution."
"Our biggest goal in this is not to put handcuffs on individuals," Sgt. Bower said. "Our biggest goal is to make sure students are aware this is not a joke, there's zero tolerance for it."
In addition to the felony charges, families could be held financially responsible for the investigation and resources that went into the lockdown. That's why authorities are encouraging families to talk to their children about the consequences and seriousness of these threats.
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