Student Arrested For Shooting Threat At Rancho High School

LAS VEGAS, NV - A 16-year old Rancho High School student was arrested Wednesday after calling a Clark County School District office and threatening a school shooting, CCSD Police Capt. Ken Young said.

Young said the threat began as a rumor before the student then made calls to district offices. The student was arrested around 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Young said the investigation found that the student did not have any weapons nor did he have access to any weapons.

"In light of whats going on across the country Las Vegas is also experiencing some rumor calls," Young said. "Kids that are copycatting information that they've seen in other cities. We are experiencing the same thing."

High schools across the country are receiving similar "copycat" threats following a Valentine's Day shooting that killed 17 people at a Florida high school. One day after the incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, a "Code Red" was issued for a Reno middle school and student was detained for bringing a weapon to campus.

Young said the person who made the threat will be "sent to the juvenile system or, depending on their age, to the adult system," and said parents should talk to their children about the consequences of making such threats.

"We want to send information out to parents, we want to let them know that we are taking these rumors very serious. We want to let kids know that this is not an opportunity to get out of school, so please do not, do not, put these types of rumors out. Do not make these types of statements," Young said.