Two juveniles have been arrested and a third is under investigation in connection with threats made over social media on Thursday involving middle schools in Meriden.
Both threats involved individuals re-posting things that were shared over Facebook and Snapchat, which have led to threat investigations all over Connecticut and other parts of the country, according to Lt. Darrin McKay of the Meriden Police Department.
McKay said school officials contacted police about two separate threats on social media that were discovered Thursday. The investigation into one of them led police to arrest two Meriden juveniles, according to McKay.
Authorities identified a third juvenile in connection with the second threat, which remains under investigation, McKay said.
“Both investigations stem from juveniles re-posting one of numerous social media posts that have been circulating on numerous social media platforms all over the state of Connecticut,” McKay said in a statement. “This has been occurring across the state over the last couple of weeks and in fact, it has been occurring in numerous other states across the country.
“Both investigations were conducted expeditiously, and police personnel were in contact with the Meriden School Superintendent, Mark Benigni, who was made aware of both investigations and updated as they progressed,” McKay said.
In a message sent out late Thursday to the school community, Benigni said police would have school resource officers or patrol officers at Meriden’s middle schools on Friday.
“We have been working closely with the Meriden Police Department as they continue to investigate online threats to our middle schools,” Benigni said. “These online threats have been occurring across the state and nation, and people appear to be reposting them. These matters are taken very seriously, and reposting threats will lead to serious consequences.”
McKay added that police “take all threats of school violence seriously.”
“Any threat will be investigated thoroughly and expeditiously to determine its credibility and perpetrators will be arrested,” McKay said.
