By Joanna Putman
Police1
AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department arrested a 17-year-old after the FBI received a tip that she was making threats of a school shooting on social media, KXAN reported.
The 17-year-old was arrested for allegedly making online threats against Graham Elementary School in northeast Austin, according to an arrest affidavit. The FBI received a tip about concerning statements made by the suspect on Instagram, where she reportedly expressed an interest in previous active shooters and mentioned plans to harm her family before attacking the school, according to the report.
Authorities traced the Instagram account to the suspect, who attended Graham Elementary from 2013 to 2017. Following the threat, the Austin Independent School District PD and Austin Police Department increased patrols at the school, according to the report. The suspect was arrested on Aug. 20 and charged with making terroristic threats, a third-degree felony. Her bond was set at $100,000.
AISD and the Austin Police Department issued a joint statement commending the swift action of law enforcement, which they said prevented a potential tragedy, according to the report.
“We’ll continue to work regionally to prepare for any threats, including completing annual tabletop crisis exercises with regional law enforcement, partner organizations, and healthcare teams to ensure in the case of any crisis, we’re able to quickly respond,” Austin Independent School District Police Department Chief Wayne Sneed stated.
The case remains under active investigation.