Juvenile arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot up southwest Valley schools

PHOENIX – A juvenile has been arrested for allegedly making online school shooting threats targeting southwest Valley campuses, authorities announced Wednesday.

The threats started circulating on social media last Thursday, according to the Tolleson Police Department.

The messages displayed a gun and a list of schools in the area.

School shooting threats found to be a hoax

Police and administrators determined that the threats were not credible and said students shouldn’t skip school because of them.

A police investigation led to the arrest of a juvenile who allegedly admitted to the hoax.

The suspect, who did not have the means to carry out the school shooting threats, was booked into a juvenile detention center.

Police did not identify the schools targeted in the online threats.

In order to minimize potential disruptions, authorities are asking members of the public to refrain from reposting school threats they see on social media.

In an unrelated case, a 13-year-old student was accused of falsely reporting on Monday that guns were on the campus of Bales Elementary School in Buckeye, prompting a lockdown.

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