BUCKEYE, AZ — At least three teens have been arrested this week across the Valley in connection to false rumors spreading about school violence or guns on campuses as law enforcement has been inundated with false threats.
Buckeye police say they have received more than 300 reports from concerned citizens regarding threats of shootings at schools across their city. While investigating the threats, Buckeye police have arrested a 13-year-old female student from Bales Elementary School, and a 17-year-old male student from Buckeye Union High School.
Police say they received a tip from the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center regarding threats of a school shooting in Buckeye. Detectives were able to determine the threat allegedly originated from the 13-year-old female student at Bales. That student has been located and arrested and she faces criminal charges, according to Buckeye police.
The 17-year-old is accused of sending a text message out that said he saw a gun in the bathroom of Buckeye Union High School. That text was then shared on social media by at least one other student, causing the school to be placed on a "hold" while police investigated. The 17-year-old faces criminal charges and school discipline.
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"Buckeye police take every threat seriously and investigate them with the safety of our community in mind," Buckeye police said Thursday. "We want to remind everyone to report posts on social media that involve violence, or threats of violence instead of reposting them."
Additionally, false school threats have been reported in several other cities across the Valley this week, including Surprise, Glendale, and Phoenix recently. A 14-year-old student was arrested on September 9 in connection to a threat made online toward Valley Vista High School.
Glendale police also say they are aware of threats being circulated to include schools in its city. Glendale says they have not found any credible threats in their city and if it is discovered who is making the threats, they will be arrested and prosecuted.
"We at the Glendale Police Department take all threats seriously and they are all investigated," Glendale police said in a statement. "The act of making a threat is a crime, if that threat escalates to the point where it disrupts the daily activity of the school, that crime becomes a felony. These threats are not seen as jokes. If we discover students making these threats they will be prosecuted."
