A 15-year-old Kearny High School student has been arrested and charged with third-degree creating a false-public alarm after the boy allegedly used a photo on a social media account with the caption: “Thinking of searching up how to shoot up a school and get away with it,” Kearny police Chief George King told The Observer this morning.
According to King, yesterday, Thursday, March 1, someone at the high school was alerted to the Snap Chat post and called the police immediately.
The police responded to the boy’s home and the boy, with his mother present, was questioned.
King said the boy admitted to creating the social media post, saying, “it was a joke.”
But to the police, it was no joke. And after gaining permission from the boy’s mother, who police say was cooperative, the boy’s home was searched — and police said they found no weapons or evidence of a plot to shoot up Kearny High School.
The suspect, whose name cannot be released because he’s a juvenile, was due in Hudson County Juvenile Court, Jersey City, this morning.
Since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla., the chief says there has been an increased police presence at all Kearny schools. Today, March 2, there was an even greater police presence at Kearny High School.
Superintendent of Schools Patricia Blood sent an email alert to parents at around 9:30 this morning. In her message, Blood assures parents there was never a real threat to the high school.
“The police assured me that the schools were in no danger at this time, but they would provide a police presence at the high school this morning, which they did,” Blood said. “We are especially grateful for the relationship we have with the Kearny PD and for their swift resolution of this event. We continue to put the safety of our students and staff as our first priority.”
