A 14-year-old student from Gainesville has been charged with making terroristic threats and disrupting the operation of a public school. Police reported the arrest Thursday in the wake of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High.
According to a news release from the Gainesville Police Department, officials were made aware of possible threats circulating over social media late Wednesday night. The release states that law enforcement and school officials immediately began investigating.
“Given the recent tragedy in neighboring Barrow County, many jurisdictions have been dealing with hoax or false information being passed around,” the police department says. In this case, Investigators were able to determine a student “did cause public alarm by going to social media and referencing threats and actions.”
The juvenile was taken into custody and charged and was booked at the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville.
Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish emphasized, “Hoax or not, we will actively investigate every threat or possible action to any school or student.”
Schools across North Georgia have increased security on campus. Parrish alerted parents to expect the “full force of the Gainesville Police Department and our law enforcement partners to take necessary actions to protect our schools.”
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville City School System assisted Gainesville Police with the investigation.
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