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PAYSON — A 14-year-old boy was recently arrested after police say he threatened a mass school shooting at his junior high school.
The Payson Junior High student was charged in juvenile court with making a terroristic threat, but investigators do not believe the boy had the intention or means to actually carry out the threat. Still, police are praising other students who immediately followed through with the adage of "see something, say something."
On Jan. 22, the teen sent a Snapchat message to a friend at Mt. Nebo Junior High, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Court.
"Ima get my AR-15 roll up around 12 and y'all gonna be (expletive) dead, goal is to get at least 20," the message stated, according to the affidavit.
The boy also allegedly threatened the friend "that if she told law enforcement he would cause harm to her."
The girl took a screenshot of the message and sent it to a friend who attends Payson Junior High, and told her "not to go to school at 12 because (the boy) was going to shoot up the school," the warrant states.
That student showed the message to her principal who contacted law enforcement. While officers were looking for the boy, the principal found him in the hallway at Payson Junior High and took him to the office.
Payson Police Sgt. Noemi Sandavol said the student admitted to sending the messages, but said he didn't really intend to go through with it — something investigators agreed with after reviewing the situation.
The boy was arrested and booked into juvenile detention. Sandavol praised the girls who spoke up and reported the threatening social media message.
The boy was charged with threat of terrorism and witness tampering, both third-degree felonies, according to charging documents filed in 4th District Juvenile Court.
