12-Year-Old Student Arrested For School Shooting Threat: Police

CHULA VISTA, CA — A 12-year-old student was arrested for threatening messages, including a threat to commit a school shooting at a school in San Diego's South Bay, authorities said.

The Chula Vista Police Department's School Resource Officer Unit received a report Monday of a school shooting threat that was sent via text to a 12-year-old student at Bonita Vista Middle School in Chula Vista.

The threatening messages "caused fear on multiple school campuses and the absence of many concerned students," Sgt. Anthony Molina said in a news release.

The text was sent Saturday and reported on Monday. Although school resource officers did not believe the threat was credible, they implemented safety precautions at the campus and launched an investigation.

Screenshots of the text message circulated on social media Tuesday morning, prompting unsubstantiated rumors of potential threats at other Chula Vista schools, including Discovery Charter and Rancho Del Rey Middle School. Screenshots of the message was forwarded to students and "believed to be the cause of Tuesday's rapid departure of numerous students from both campuses," Molina said.

During the investigation, officers determined the original threatening text was created by the same student who reported the message to police, Molina said.

Police arrested the student shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday on suspicion of making criminal threats and filing a false police report, Molina said. The student was released to a parent.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information was asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.