A significant increase of false school threats since the Parkland shooting has local law enforcement laying down the hammer.
- Metro Detroit teen held on $10 million bond after threatening to shoot up school
- Metro Detroit teen jailed on $150,000 bond for school threat
- Guns, ammo found at Utica student's home who made threat to school
- Metro Detroit teen gets $250,000 bond after threat found in school bathroom
What used to be considered a stupid prank is now being treated as a serious crime. That’s the message from the US Attorney’s office, as well as state and county officials.
US Attorney Matthew Schneider said, “Apparently, you have no idea what the consequences are of your actions.”
Those are strong words for students who think calling in fake school threats is just a harmless prank.
“They think we can’t track them, well they’re wrong. We are finding these people. We have tools in the government, especially the federal government to find the perpetrators.”
Local officials say they’ve seen quite a significant increase of fake bomb or shooting threats to schools since the shooting in Florida back in February.
Take Macomb County for example. Prosecutor Eric Smith says they’ve charged 51 people for making threats. Some of those teens are being charged as adults. All of them are facing a 20-year felony.
“Nobody out there is saying ‘they are just kids being kids.’ Those days are long since over with and we are all here to stress that,” Smith explained.
Each time a fake threat is made, tens of thousands of dollars are spent to determine if it is real.
A new initiative will soon roll out in schools explaining to students and parents the severe consequences of making false threats.
Schneider hopes to relay that message in terms teens can understand.
“Our presentation to the schools is more focused on things that’s kids understand. We’ve got some funny things in there, we have some comic strips type things that are still cool but still get the point across,” he added.
When it comes to real threats and concerns, local authorities are urging students to report it. They can send tips anonymously using the OK2SAY app.
