Update: Police Charge Youth Who Threatened Gunfire at Mall of Georgia

BUFORD, GA — The Gwinnett County police announced Wednesday that they will file a criminal charge against a 16-year-old boy who threatened in an online chat room to "shoot up" the Mall of Georgia.

The teenager is a resident of Gwinnett County, but the police will not release his name, address, school and other identifying information because he is a juvenile. Cpl. Michele Pihera, a spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, cited Georgia's open records law, which bars police from revealing the names of juveniles who face criminal charges.

After consulting with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, the police charged the 16-year old with harassing communications. The teenager will remain in the custody of his parents, they said.

On Tuesday, the police said the threat was "a very disturbing situation that we take very seriously." But at 3:25 p.m., they announced that the Mall of Georgia was not in immediate danger.

The police also posted a message on Twitter to make it clear there was no active-shooter situation at the mall — a response to rumors swirling on social media.

The mall remained open Tuesday, but the Gwinnett police deployed undercover officers inside and high-visibility patrols both inside and outside the mall.

On Patch: Police: 'No Immediate Threat' to Mall of Georgia

The threat came to their attention Monday when they were notified by an unidentified participant in an online gaming chat room. The threat specifically stated that the shooting would happen at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

There were also statements made in the chat room about the number of people who were going to be shot and a reference to committing suicide after the shooting, the police said in a news release.