Consequences of making threats on schools on social media

CALCASIEU PARISH, LA (KPLC) - Two juvenile suspects have been arrested after back-to-back cases of threats being made to Calcasieu Parish schools. This caused law enforcement to ramp up security on campus.

Chief Deputy Gary “Stitch” Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says the two suspects were booked into the juvenile detention center.

“We were hoping to get off to a good start to our school year and, so far, we had been. These two incidences are unfortunate. We were fortunate enough to track the persons down and make an arrest”, says Guillory.

According to the Calcasieu Parish DA’s office, if a juvenile is proven guilty of terroristic threats, depending on the severity, they could face a minimum of probation and maximum of jail time until they turn 21 as well as a maximum fine of $15,000.

“From this point forward, hopefully they’re going to understand that there’s consequences for their actions. And hopefully they can get their life straight and they can take a better path in life,” says Guillory.

Holly Holland with the Calcasieu Parish School Board says juveniles need to understand that social media comes with the burden of responsibility.

“It doesn’t disappear like kids think these days; screenshots are taken, it’s shared. I just think it’s really important for students to be aware that this potentially threatening behavior is going to be taken very seriously by both us and law enforcement and it could potentially affect their entire life," says Holland.

Once the suspects turn 21, those found guilty can attempt to expunge their record, but Guillory wants kids to know they should think of how their lives can be changed before they get themselves into trouble

“And its important if you’re a parent and you have teenagers; you need to sit them down and just let them know how important it is that whatever they post, it’s out there. Once you hit send, you can’t take it back. Any threat that you post on Facebook or on social media, we in law enforcement are going to take it serious," says Guillory.

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