Tweet About 'Killing Kids' Prompts Terrorism Charges

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CANTON TOWNSHIP, MI - A Canton Township man who allegedly tweeted about “killing kids” last week at a school he formerly attended faces multiple terrorism charges.

Scott Richard Parker, 21, was arraigned in 53rd District Court Friday on four counts of making a threats of terrorism, Hometownlife.com reports. The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Bond was set at $750,000.

The alleged threats, made Wednesday, involved four Howell-area schools that were not specifically named, according to the report. The tweets included the Howell school district’s Twitter handle, @HowellMISchools.

Howell Police Chief told The Livingston Daily Press & Argus that Parker, a former Howell High School student who later transferred to Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, “never had the means or capacity to carry it out” and has no access to to weapons or transportation. He reportedly does not drive and has cerebral palsy.

In court, his mother described her son as having the mental capacity of a 6- or 7-year-old.

However, Livingston County Prosecutor William Vailliencourt said it doesn’t matter whether Parker had the intent or capacity to carry out the threats.

Under Michigan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, “it is not a defense to these charges that the defendant did not have the actual intent or ability to carry out these threats,” Vailliencourt said.

Parker’s mother, Denise Canelopoulos, told The Livingston Daily that Vailliencourt “should be ashamed of himself” for treating her son “like a grown adult.”

However, Magistrate Jerry Sherwood said during the arraignment that Parker was “very specific about where he was going and what he was going to do.”

Parker’s next court date is Dec. 23. It’s expected that his attorney will ask for a competency exam, according to the reports.