Third Arlington Student Detained For Making Threats

ARLINGTON, TX — Police in Arlington Tuesday arrested two Arlington ISD students for making threats against schools in the district. The students were not identified, but each of them face a charge of Terroristic Threat, a third degree felony.

The threats included a text message, which read, "I'm gonna shoot up this school." Two other threats were found written on a bathroom wall in the school, a district spokesperson said.

The first read, "I'm shoot this b-tch up like Florida 12:15," and the other, "you have 3 hours left til I shoot [unintelligible]."

Shahveer Dhalla, principal of Arlington High School, wrote on the school's website the threats did not put students in harm's way.

"At this point, [Arlington Police Department] has no validity that these threats are credible," Dhalla wrote. "Please know that the safety and security of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. Threats – whether written on school property, posted online or verbalized to others – will be thoroughly and immediately investigated. Anyone involved in making a threat will face disciplinary action and serious legal consequences through the APD."

Lieutenant Christopher Cook, a spokesman for the Arlington Police Department, told Patch the first tip came in via Campus Crime Stoppers, a program which allows students to report crimes and threats anonymously. The tip, he said, referred to the message threatening to shoot up the school. A 16-year-old student was arrested and charged Monday for that threat.

The second incident happened Tuesday morning when a 16-year-old girl was arrested in connection to the shooting threats written on bathroom walls. She was released to her parents after an interview with police, Cook said, but officials believe at least one other student is involved in the written threats. An additional arrest has not been made.

A third arrest was made around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at Workman Junior High School when a student between 12 and 14-years-old was arrested for saying he would bring a gun to school and harm other students, Cook said.

That student was taken to the juvenile detention center and charged with making a terroristic threat.

Cook said the threats weren't credible as the students do not have immediate access to weapons. That, however, does not stop law enforcement in Arlington from pursuing legal action.

"We have to take every threat seriously," he said. "We treat every one as if it's really going to happen."

Unlike some other police departments, Cook said Arlington does not let these students off with warnings.

"In Arlington, we've always taken a different approach because it causes so much fear in the community..." he said. "Because of the fear that it causes, and the drain on police resources and school officials — that's why we charge in Arlington."

Cook also offered a word of advice to students who think online posts offer anonymity when making threats like these.

"We can always track [students] down through an IP address, and we're probably going to charge you..."

Leslie Johnston, a school spokeswoman, said the district is working with students to ensure they understand how serious these threats can be.

In response to the threats, Arlington police shared the above video reminding students that such threats are taken seriously and punished accordingly.

Lead image: Screencap via Google Maps