Multiple juveniles were arrested on Friday following a bizarre trend this week of minors running afoul of law enforcement for making terroristic threats to schools across the state on social media.
Over the past week, the number of minors arrested for making online threats against schools in the state has reached double digits.
What started in the River Region swiftly grew to other Alabama schools, creating rising tensions for school officials, parents and law enforcement.
The trend involves juveniles making threats via various social media platforms or messages, usually threatening to shoot up schools or buses, often naming the school specifically. Recently, students have been arrested for making threats in person or via text message.
On Thursday, a 16-year-old male was arrested for making a bomb threat to Woodlawn High School in Jefferson County.
On Friday, a student at Birmingham's Wenonah High School was arrested for making terroristic threats for saying he was going to shoot up the school. That same day, a fifth-grader was arrested for allegedly texting threats to students at Athens Intermediate School. The 10-year-old was not at school that day and was arrested at home. Also on Friday, Birmingham police arrested another 16-year-old male, charging him with making two terroristic threats on social media. The boy threatened to carry out shootings at two Birmingham high schools.
At least 11 minors total have been arrested for making terroristic threats to school in the past week alone.
The threats first occurred in Montgomery, Autauga and Elmore Counties, sparking an apparent copycat effect throughout the state.
Two juveniles, a male and female, both 13, were initially arrested by the Montgomery Police Department on Sunday and Monday and transported to the Montgomery County Youth Detention Facility. On Tuesday, MPD arrested an 11-year-old female over the threats and released her to a guardian due to her age. Later that day, MPD also arrested a 14-year-old Male. This most recent arrest brings the total number of juveniles arrested in Montgomery alone to four.
At least seven have been arrested across the state for making terroristic threats. Millbrook Police also arrested two 12-year-olds related to online threats directed toward Stanhope Elmore High School and Millbrook Middle School. A 15-year-old boy in Etowah County was taken into custody Monday morning and charged with allegedly making a terroristic threat against Southside High School.
None of the threats have materialized into any violent action. However, the trend has grabbed the attention of concerned parents who have publicly expressed worry over continuing to send their children to school.
Thus far, Attorney General Steve Marshall's office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency have not spoken publicly on the cause of the frightening spike in school threats.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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