Snapchat Threat Shared, No Risk To Anne Arundel Schools: Police

MILLERSVILLE, MD — A threatening Snapchat photo and message is being circulated throughout Anne Arundel County, but there is no threat to any schools in the county, police said Friday morning. The message originated in South Carolina and has spread through social media across the country, Anne Arundel County Police said on Facebook.

On its website, Anne Arundel County Public Schools alerted parents and guardians with this message: "Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Anne Arundel County Police Department are receiving many reports related to an image that has appeared on social media of what appears to be a teenager threatening school violence. This image originated in South Carolina and the person in that image has been arrested and charged. The image has no connection whatsoever to any of our schools or our school system.

"AACPS and police continue to investigate every tip provided to us. AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO CREDIBLE THREATS TO ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS. All schools are operating on normal schedules.
We ask that everyone continue to remain vigilant and adhered to a simple adage: If you see something, say something."

The Washington Post reports that a ninth-grader in Spartanburg, S.C., told police he was joking when he allegedly used Snapchat to pot a photo of himself wearing a partial mask and holding what appeared to be an assault rifle. The photo was captioned, “Round 2 of Florida tomorrow,” Spartanburg sheriff’s officials told Fox affiliate WHNS.

Authorities told the station that a parent of another child had reported the threat and helped deputies identify the student in the photo. The Broward County Sheriff's office, which is still investigating Wednesday's deadly mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, shared a copy of the Snapchat threat to reassure parents and urge students who see something suspicious to report it. (See image at the bottom of this story.)

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Anne Arundel County Police remind parents to monitor their child's social media accounts and encourage them not to re-post/share rumors or threatening social media posts. If a child sees a threatening post on social media they should immediately contact an adult and report it to police.

"We encourage parents to monitor and talk to their kids and encourage them not to re-post or share content of this nature," said police spokesman Marc Limansky.

Image via Anne Arundel County Police