Second Teen Arrested In Connection To New School Violence Threats: Harford County Sheriff

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Just a few days after a Harford County high school student was arrested in connection to threats of violence against a school, another teen has been arrested and charged in connection to making threats against a school, police say.

Five additional threats have been received and investigated by the Harford County Sheriff's Office since the first incident on Sept. 25 .

On Friday afternoon, the school resource officer assigned to Fallston High School was made aware of a teen making threats against a school and started investigating the schools. That teen has since been charged with making a threat of mass violence and illegal possession of ammunition. Additional charges against other individuals are possible as the investigation continues, according to the sheriff's office.

"We understand that school safety is a top concern for parents and the community. Please rest assured that we will continue to investigate these incidents thoroughly and take swift action where a crime has occurred," the sheriff's office stated.

In the first instance, Harford County sheriff's deputies were made aware of a claim made by a student early on Sept. 25 that was circulating on Snapchat. The threat involved “shooting up the school, this is a threat,” according to the sheriff's office. It didn't specify which school.

"Even though it was 2:20 a.m., we were knocking on doors to investigate the threat, as time is of the essence," the sheriff's office stated. "The investigation took us to the residence of the individual, a public high school student, suspected of making the claim. Once on scene, the evidence became clear that the juvenile had in fact posted the threat. As a result, deputies charged the student with making threats to commit an act of mass violence."

A generalized threat was received by two Harford County schools earlier this month, the same threat being sent across the country to schools, officials said. The exact same message being sent across the nation describes a three-step plan to threaten schools, scare everyone, then pull the fire alarm and shoot people. The message is crafted as a warning that students are encouraged to spread across social media. It starts out as "People are saying this..." and "...I'm not sure this is true but this is what I keep hearing people say and I just want everyone to stay safe to spread this message."

On Sept. 6, 15-year-old Warren Curtis Grant of Edgewood was fatally shot in a school bathroom at Joppatowne High School. His classmate, Jaylen Rushawn Prince, 16, of Edgewood has been charged with murder.

Related:

• School Threat Spreading Across Nation Targets Harford County Schools
• Harford County High School Student Arrested For Threatening To 'Shoot Up The School'
• Extra Police Present At Joppatowne HS As Kids Return To Class, Bags Not Allowed

• National Foundation Hosts GoFundMe For 15-Year-Old Joppatowne High School Shooting Victim
• Teen Charged With Murder After Joppatowne High School Shooting
• Student Fatally Shot At Joppatowne HS Identified, Teen Suspect Faces Adult Charges
• Teen School Shooting Suspect Denied Bail, Return To School Delayed At Joppatowne High
• Schools Closed As Community Mourns Student's Fatal Shooting, Counseling Available