Police react as students threaten schools

Police and schools are cracking down on students who make threats after concerns were raised following the mass shooting at a Florida high school last week.

Hawaii County police arrested a teen and increased its presence Wednesday at three Big Island high schools following threats on social media.

And Honolulu police arrested a 14-year-old male student Wednesday morning at Leilehua High School after he allegedly verbally threatened other students with a dangerous instrument, police said. A teacher overheard the threat, and police were called.

“What appears to be happening are copycat situations where similar language of a threat is being shared or posted on social media,” Department of Education spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said. “All of those threats are taken seriously.”

She said these threats have caused disruption in some schools and taken resources away from police departments.

Hawaii County police arrested and charged a 17-year-old boy, who has connections to Konawaena High School, with terroristic threatening Tuesday night for allegedly posting on Instagram about “shooting up local schools.”

The Konawaena principal sent a letter Wednesday to parents and guardians saying that school officials immediately notified police and held a staff meeting to review the school’s security plan.

Police informed the school there was no imminent threat to the campus, but police were on the Konawaena campus Wednesday.

Pahoa and Keaau high schools also had police on campus Wednesday after school officials were notified on Tuesday of threatening social media posts made Jan. 29.

Police said that a 16-year-old girl commented on social media about bringing a firearm to school. This happened after the 16-year-old and another teenage girl exchanged insults on Instagram.

Dela Cruz said the threat at Leilehua High School was immediately addressed by the school and police.

“Disciplinary action was initiated,” she said.

Police said the 14-year-old student was arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening at 10 a.m. and released pending investigation late Wednesday afternoon.

Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto sent a letter Friday to parents and guardians of students that school districts across the country, including Hawaii, are dealing with rumors or threats against school safety spread through social media.

The letter encouraged parents to talk to children to emphasize the seriousness of terroristic threats, considered Class A student conduct offenses. The penalties range from detention to dismissal with the possibility of arrest and serious criminal charges, the letter said.

The 19-year-old suspect in the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had posted disturbing material on social media and had been expelled from that school for disciplinary reasons.