PHOENIX — A teenage girl has been arrested for a threat that prompted a large police response and lockdown at Sierra Linda High School in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Phoenix Police Sergeant Mayra Reeson says the situation began around 10:15 a.m. when multiple threats were discovered on social media.
Sierra Linda High School is located near 67th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road.
Reeson says a school resource officer was alerted to the social media post which showed a countdown clock and a bench that looked like it "could be something on campus." The post also listed several other accounts which are being investigated.
As police arrived at the school, a lockdown was put in place to get all students, who were on lunch at the time, back into their classrooms.
Officials say the lockdown was out of "an abundance of caution" and officers searched the campus to make sure everyone was safe.
There were no shots fired and no injuries were reported. Police did not find any weapons on campus.
School officials sent a message to parents alerting them of the situation.
All students were released from school sometime after noon, which is around the regularly scheduled early release time.
The following day on Thursday, Phoenix police identified a suspect, a female juvenile. She was arrested and interviewed about the threat. Police say the teen, who is not being identified, admitted to her involvement and stated that the "threat was meant to be a joke and got out of hand."
She has been booked into juvenile corrections on multiple felonies including terroristic threats and computer tampering.
ABC15 was there and spoke to parents and students who were being let out.
“I was like I need to go, I need to go! I need to get out of here!” explained Diego Basties, a senior.
Basties says he frantically called his sister, also a student, to make sure she was okay. He described why the post scared him so much.
“He posted a rifle, and then he posted a pistol. With a countdown,” Basties said.
Police say because the post looked original, and photos appeared to be taken on school grounds, it elevated the threat.
“One was very quickly, easily disproved that it was a stock photo from Instagram,” Sgt. Mayra Reeson, Public Information Officer, said. “There is another photo we are investigating that could potentially be or lead to charges.”
Reeson says detectives are investigating the original account that posted the threat and says it was a newly made account.
Tolleson Union Superintendent Jeremy Calles says school will resume as normal on Thursday and Friday.
Dozens of schools across the Valley, Arizona, and even more nationwide have experienced school threats recently.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office tells ABC15 it has charged 15 cases involving threats made by juveniles against local schools and more are under review.
