RIVERSIDE, CA — A 13-year-old boy is the latest student in Riverside County to be arrested after police allege he made a threatening social media post toward his middle school.
According to the Riverside Police Department, officers launched a School Threat Assessment and Response (STAR) investigation Monday night after parents from Central Middle School flagged a concerning Instagram post.
Police said the post showed a student holding what looked like a gun and contained a list of classmates’ names. Investigators worked through the night to identify the boy with help from the school resource officer.
According to police, a search of the student’s home uncovered a “realistic” toy gun, and the boy was arrested and booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of making criminal threats and conspiracy. Investigators said they expected a second student would also be charged with conspiracy.
The arrest comes amid a wave of similar social media threats reported in Southern California and nationally in recent weeks, leading to the arrests of students as young as 11.
Police in Riverside ask that threatening posts be reported to the city’s non-emergency line at 951-354-2007. Social media posts that suggest potential school violence, but without a specific threat, can be reported via the Atlas 1 mobile app.
