Another shooting threat to a New York area school has resulted in the arrest of a teenage student who claims to have no plans to carry out mass violence.
Police were alerted to a possible threat involving a Queens high school two days after a gunman killed 21 people at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
911 calls alerted officers to a threatening message left on a school desk by an 18-year-old student that read in part, "I am going to shoot the school, like in Texas; be ready," according to a criminal complaint.
The message was discovered the morning of May 26 at Forest Hills High School.
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"I was playing around and I just wrote it," the student told officials, according to details in the complaint.
“Our hearts had not even begun to heal from the horrific school shooting in Texas when, as alleged, the defendant made similar threats right here in Queens County. We are committed to keeping our students safe and will fully investigate all possible threats of harm," District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Charges of making a terroristic threat, criminal mischief, making graffiti, and aggravated harassment have been filed against the student.
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The student's arrest shares similarities to one exactly a week later on Long Island, where officials said a student made references to the Texas shooting when making a threat to "shoot the school." This student was 13 years old.
