Eagan Teen Charged With Felony School Threats That Shut Down High Schools

EAGAN, MN — A 16-year-old male from Eagan has been charged with multiple felony offenses in connection with online threats that prompted the closure of several Dakota County high schools earlier this week, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.

County Attorney Kathy Keena announced Thursday that the juvenile has been charged with four felony counts of threats of violence with intent to terrorize.

“Any threat of gun violence, especially when directed at schools, is taken very seriously by my office,” Keena said.

According to a juvenile court petition, Apple Valley police were contacted on the evening of Monday, Dec. 15, after a series of threatening posts appeared on multiple social media platforms. The posts referenced possible violence directed at four high schools in Dakota County.

Investigators traced the posts to a residence in Eagan and verified the phone number associated with the social media accounts, authorities said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Apple Valley police obtained a search warrant.

Before executing the warrant, Eagan police positioned officers outside the home and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle leaving the residence.

The driver and passenger were identified as the juvenile’s parents, and the teen’s mother confirmed that the phone number tied to the posts belonged to her son, authorities said.

Officers then executed the search warrant and questioned the juvenile, who also confirmed ownership of the phone number and social media accounts associated with the threats. The teen was arrested and transported to the Dakota County Juvenile Services Center in Hastings.

Police previously said no weapons were found during the search.

The online threats led Independent School District 196 to close all of its high schools Tuesday out of an abundance of caution. Burnsville High School and Burnsville Alternative High School in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District (ISD 191) were also closed after an online threat was reported.

Schools reopened on Wednesday after police said there was no credible ongoing threat.

Keena credited a student who reported the threats to a school resource officer and thanked the Apple Valley, Burnsville, and Eagan police departments for their work on the investigation.

The juvenile is scheduled to make his next court appearance at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 23 in Hastings and will remain in custody at the Juvenile Services Center.

In a joint statement released Wednesday, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office and police chiefs from multiple communities emphasized that threats of violence against schools are taken seriously and carry real consequences.

“Threats of violence, whether made in seriousness or as a joke, are not harmless,” the statement said.

“They cause real fear, disrupt learning, and require substantial law enforcement resources to investigate and assess potential risk.”

Officials urged parents and guardians to monitor online activity and talk with children about the seriousness and consequences of making threats, noting that early intervention can help prevent harm.

“School safety is a shared responsibility,” the statement said, encouraging students, families, and community members to report concerning behavior directly to law enforcement or school officials rather than amplifying it online.

The statement was signed by Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko along with police chiefs from Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville, Mendota Heights, Rosemount, South St. Paul, and West St. Paul.