LONGVIEW, Texas — A student was arrested in Longview after police investigated a social media threat against schools Wednesday night.
According to police, officers were notified of a social media post about a possible statewide threat to schools. As a precaution, Longview school resource officers were at their respective schools early Thursday along with Longview patrol officers and investigators providing extra patrol to Longview school campuses.
Further investigation showed that the origin of the first threat was not tied to Longview specifically. But detectives did determine other threats existed against local campuses that were motivated by the initial social media threat.
A student, who was no longer enrolled in school, was identified as a suspect and taken into custody outside of school grounds and transported to the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center. The student was charged with terroristic threat, a third-degree felony, police said.
"The detectives acted quickly to ensure the safety of the students and staff. The Longview Police Department thanks the continued cooperation that is received from all the school districts in the city," police said. "Please remember, it is important to report any suspicious activity to the authorities to prevent any potential harm."