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Teen arrested after allegedly threatening 12 Valley schools, police say

Phoenix police said the schools had approximately 6,000 absences in the days following the threat.
Credit: 12 News

PHOENIX — A teenage boy was arrested by Phoenix police for his alleged involvement in posting mass shooting threats on social media regarding 12 different Valley schools, police said. 

The teen was arrested on Sep. 19, five days after Phoenix police officers were made aware of a mass shooting threat on social media that involved a dozen Valley schools. 

Phoenix police said in the days following the threats, 6,000 student absences were recorded at those schools. 

The boy allegedly admitted to making the threat in response to a dare by a peer group. The teen was booked and is facing multiple felonies, including terroristic threats and computer tampering, police said.

Phoenix police said in a news release that if you or someone you know sees a threat of any kind, report it to the police immediately, and do not share or repost the information on social media. 

"Reposting these threats complicates the totality of a criminal investigation and can cause misinformation to be spread throughout social media," police said in a news release. "This scenario is also a reminder that this is a zero-tolerance issue, and everyone involved will be arrested and booked into jail on serious felony charges."

Anyone who is convicted of the charge of Making a Terroristic Threat can also be held financially responsible for the "costs related to the incident and investigation," Phoenix police said. 

>> This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.

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