School threats are no joke

Below is my Letter-to-the-Editor from September 2018. It first appeared in the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal.

Letter: School threats are no joke

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I have been researching school shootings for 20 years. In four out of five cases, according to the FBI, these school shooters told someone what they were going to do—this is called “leakage” and is one of the warning signs of a potential school shooter. Those who heard these shooters thought they were “just joking.” As we have seen far too many times, the shooters were not joking.

So it is no wonder that these “jokes” are now being taken seriously by schools and law enforcement.

Those making threats against schools today are now being suspended or expelled from school and prosecuted.

A few recent examples: An 18-year-old exchange student from Taiwan pleaded guilty to threatening to carry out a shooting at his high school. The teen said it was a joke, but authorities found more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, as well as weapons, in his home. He is now facing federal charges and deportation back to Taiwan.

A 17-year-old Orem, Utah, girl was taken into custody for posting a picture of herself loading a handgun with the caption “Welcome to your first and last day of school.” She was arrested on suspicion of a terrorism threat, possession of a handgun by a minor, and disorderly conduct. She is being held in a juvenile facility.

A 13-year-old Martin County, Florida, teen was arrested and taken to jail after posting a threat on social media, threatening to bring a gun to a specific middle school. He has been charged under FSS 836.10, written threats to kill or do bodily harm or injury.

A 17-year-old Katy, Texas, senior was arrested when he was overheard saying he wanted to blow up his school. He says he was “just being sarcastic and joking.” He was led out of his school in handcuffs.

A 15-year-old Yuma, Arizona, teen was arrested for investigation of making terrorist threats against the school. He was booked into the Yuma Juvenile Justice Center.

Many parents likely think “My child wouldn’t do that.” We don’t like to think our children would make threats. But the fact is, too many children are proving their parents wrong and they are doing that. And they are facing serious consequences that will affect them and their families for years to come, at a high cost to their families emotionally and financially. Not to mention the costs to society in monetary (police response) and emotional upset experienced by those in the affected schools. It disrupts learning when school is dismissed early, put on lock down, or even canceled.

School threats are no joke. They will not be treated as a joke. One comment or “joke” can change the life of the individual for years—it has cost some seniors their graduations and college acceptances. There can be juvenile detention or jail time.

Parents, talk with your children about the seriousness of their words. Make them realize that school threats are no joke.

J Clark

Note: The recent arrest of a 15-year-old Florida teen shows how clueless most parents are, even in this day and age. Notice in the video here from the Volusia County Sheriff's Department Facebook page how the mother only question the police officers and does not say anything to her son...

School threat arrest August 16, 2019

Content copyright © J Clark 2019. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.