Student Arrested for Creepy Clown Threat at PG County School: UPDATE

UPDATED at 9 p.m. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — One high school student is under arrest for allegedly making a "creepy clown" threat of violence at Parkdale High School, while a second student faces school disciplinary measures for a reported bomb threat made at Bladensburg High School, authorities say.

Prince George's County Police arrested an unidentified juvenile for allegedly threatening mass violence at Parkdale High School in Riverdale. The suspect is a student at the school.

Police deployed multiple officers throughout several county schools on Monday after threats circulated on social media.

Police say the Riverdale teen set up a Twitter account with a clown theme while in class, the tweeted threats to harm anyone at Parkdale High School during the school day Monday. The suspect is charged with threat of mass violence and other related charges.

In an unrelated case, detectives say another student used social media to make a bomb threat to Bladensburg High School and school officials are taking disciplinary action against the unnamed student. The threat does not appear credible, police said. Criminal charges in this case have not been placed pending additional investigation.

"While perpetrators may believe certain apps provide anonymity, these investigations show otherwise," said county police Chief Hank Stawinski.

Similar threats to other schools are under investigation, police said. Though arrests have not been made in these cases at this time, detectives, the Prince George's County Public School System, and FBI agents with the Baltimore Field Office have leads that they are actively pursuing.

School officials said in a statement Monday night that they have heard from parents who are concerned that there was no notice from the school system about the threats.

"We generally work with our law enforcement partners on our public statements concerning threats, whether true or unsubstantiated. However, we understand that you may need additional information for reassurance and we will keep that in mind for future incidents," PGCPS officials said. "The safety of our students is our top priority. Please use this as an opportunity to remind your child to immediately speak to a teacher or school administrator about any safety concerns. We want your child to know our school environment is safe and focused on their academic success."

Detectives ask that anyone who see threats of violence on social media to call police instead of forwarding that post. This helps detectives trace the origin of the threat more quickly.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), text "PGPD plus your message" to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone or go to www.pgcrimesolvers.com and submit a tip online.

Image via PGCPS