Two minors have been arrested and a third is being investigated in connection with threats made via social media against Meriden high schools on Thursday.
Both threats involved individuals reposting messages shared on Facebook and Snapchat. According to Lt. Darrin McKay of the Meriden Police Department, investigations into the threats have been launched throughout Connecticut and other parts of the country.
McKay said school officials contacted police about two separate social media threats discovered Thursday. The investigation into one of them led to police arresting two Meriden youths, McKay said.
According to McKay, authorities have identified a third minor in connection with the second threat, and the investigation is ongoing.
“Both investigations arose out of minors reposting one of the many social media posts circulating on various social media platforms in the state of Connecticut,” McKay said in a statement. “This has happened across the state in recent weeks and in fact has happened in numerous other states across the country.
“Both investigations were conducted expeditiously and police personnel were in contact with Meriden School Principal Mark Benigni, who was notified of both investigations and kept updated on their progress,” McKay said.
Benigni said in a message sent to the school community Thursday evening that police would send school counselors or patrol officers to Meriden high schools on Friday.
“We have been working closely with the Meriden Police Department as they continue to investigate online threats to our high schools,” Benigni said. “These online threats are occurring all over the state and the country, and people appear to be reposting them. These cases are taken very seriously, and reposting threats will result in serious consequences.”
McKay added that police “take all threats of school violence seriously.”
“Every threat will be thoroughly and promptly investigated to determine its credibility and the perpetrators will be arrested,” McKay said.
