New Jersey child, 12, accused of posting school shooting threats on social media
MAPLE SHADE, N.J. - A young, New Jersey child faces charges for their alleged role in making threats against the Maple Shade High School community, authorities say.
On Dec. 15, the Maple Shade Police Department received numerous reports from concerned parents and officials from the high school explaining that threats were being made against the high school's community.
Authorities conducted an investigation into additional threats that were being posted to a variety of social media accounts.
After the investigation, police were able to identify a 12-year-old child as the being responsible for a portion of the threats found on some of the social media accounts.
The 12-year-old child was charged with terroristic threats, false public alarms, and cyber harassment. Due to the fact that they're a juvenile, their name is not being released.
"Protecting the safety and security of our children, their learning environment and the staff members that make this all happen is of the utmost importance to our agency and that was reflected in our presence at each of our schools within the district during this time," authorities stated.
Authorities are reminding parents and guardians of the importance of teaching children the appropriate use of social media as a result of these threats.
"Lastly, we ask that each of our parents and/or guardians please take a moment to discuss the appropriate use of social media with your children. Please include in that discussion the importance of bringing concerning situations to the attention of a responsible adult so that appropriate action can be taken in a timely fashion.""
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