FBI Coordinates with Local Police to Arrest Burlingame Teen on Terrorist Threats

A  senior was arrested Monday on suspicion of making terrorist threats, San Mateo police said. 

The FBI contacted the San Mateo Police Department at about 7 a.m. Monday regarding an online posting that threatened a school rally on a campus in Northern California, police said.

Someone from out of state had seen the posting and reported it to authorities, police said. The FBI determined that the person who created the post lived in San Mateo.

Police began an investigation and checked with local school districts to determine whether any rallies were planned.

Burlingame High School had a rally scheduled, and further investigation led police to suspect that a 17-year-old senior at the school had posted the threats online.

San Mateo police detectives went to the campus and interviewed the student, while additional officers provided security.

The suspect claimed that the posting was a prank, police said. Investigators obtained a warrant and searched his home but found no evidence of a weapon.

The teen was arrested at about 9 a.m. on suspicion of making terrorist threats and was booked into Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, police said.

"These types of threats pose a significant potential for danger to the school community and the public, and will be met with zero tolerance to ensure the safety of our youth and our schools," police Chief Susan Manheimer said in a statement.

--Bay City News