Prosecutors are accusing a teenager of making violent threats against south metro high schools in social media posts that included images of guns and a poll asking which school he should target first.
The 16-year-old, an Eastview High School student from Eagan, was charged as a juvenile in Dakota County District Court with four felony counts of threats of violence with intent to terrorize in connection with numerous postings on Monday.
The threats forced school district officials to cancel classes Tuesday on five campuses: Apple Valley, Eagan, Eastview and Rosemount high schools as well as the School of Environmental Studies.
Parents were notified of the closure with little advance notice, and some students had already arrived at school. Those students were dismissed and buses brought them back home, the district said.
The teenager remains in custody ahead of a hearing on Tuesday. The Minnesota Star Tribune has reached out to his attorney for a response to the allegations. Because he is a minor, the Star Tribune is not identifying the teen.
The charges, outlined in a juvenile petition, offer no indication that the teenager had the inclination to act on any of the alleged threats, nor did it point to a motive. Police said a search of the boy’s home turned up no weapons.
County Attorney Kathryn Keena said law enforcement learned of the alleged threats when a student reported them to a school resource officer.
“Any threat of gun violence, especially when directed at schools, is taken very seriously by my office,” Keena said. “I want to thank the student who reported the threats. ... Your actions played an important role in protecting the safety of other students and staff while the police investigated the threat.”
