Student Arrested For Social Media Threats Against Clinton HS

CLINTON, MA—A student at Clinton High School has been arrested on charges of making threats against the school on social media Wednesday.

On May 23 around 7:15 a.m., Clinton police responded to the Clinton High School to investigate a report that a student, 18-year-old Nathan A. Steele, had made concerning remarks and possible threats on social media on the previous evening.

Officers and school officials tried to talk to Steele, who police say was uncooperative and fled to another part of the school. He was found inside a classroom, placed in custody and taken out of the school.

Police searched Steele's home at 98 Chestnut St. in Clinton and found a .45 Big Sauer firearm, ammunition, two air-soft rifles, a crossbow, prescription pills, marijuana (including edible marijuana products), a scale, drug paraphernalia and packaging, along with more than $15,000 in cash.

Steele was charged with Disturbing the Peace, Being a Disorderly Person, Disrupting a School Assembly, Willfully Communicating a Threat, Possession of a Firearm Without a License, Possession of Ammunition Without a License, Security Violation of a Firearm, and Unlawful Distribution of a Class D Substance.

Additional charges may be added.

When Steele was taken into custody at the school in the morning, just before the start of classes, he was searched and did not have a firearm or other weapons on him.

After Steele was taken into custody the officers and school officials believed that there was no threat to the safety of the school or the students at that time.

The incident follows one at Clinton Elementary School a day earlier, when a young student brought in four bullets to show his classmates. There was no threat determined in the incident.

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