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On Long Island, a 16-year-old student at Bellport High School in Suffolk County was arrested by police in his home on Thursday, May 26.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that the teen - whose name is not being released due to his age - created an online post threatening a massive shooting at his hometown school.
Investigators said that on Wednesday, May 25, the teen allegedly created a post on his “Bellport Scholars” Instagram page regarding a potential mass shooting at the school the following day.
Tierney said that “upon learning of the threat, (the Suffolk County Police Department) worked with (the DA’s office) to locate and interview the suspect responsible for the threat.
“In addition, they searched and determined that there were no guns in the home.”
The teen was charged with making a terroristic threat and aggravated harassment.
On Friday, May 27, Tierney announced that the teen has been arraigned before Judge Karen Kerr in Suffolk County Youth Court and placed on supervised release probation with a GPS and 9 p.m. curfew.
The judge also ordered the teen to be only allowed home and office visits, he is barred from using social media, and he was ordered to submit to drug and alcohol testing, according to the DA.
“We take these threats seriously and will devote our resources to ensuring the safety of our children," Tierney said. "I thank Suffolk police for their swift action here. Upon learning of this threat, they worked with my office to locate and interview the individual responsible for the threat.”
The DA noted that he will be committing a School Safety Summit in Suffolk County with parents, teachers, school officials, local law enforcement, and other agencies to “work on improving our response to school safety threats and keeping our kids safe.”
The teen is being represented by Legal Aid and is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, May 31.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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