Student arrested for allegedly threatening violence at Murrieta school

A 16-year-old boy who allegedly posted a threatening message aimed at fellow students at Vista Murrieta High School was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, police reported today.

Murrieta police Lt. Mark Reid said officers were alerted to the Instagram post about 9 a.m. Wednesday and initiated a joint investigation with Vista Murrieta High School administrators and Murrieta Valley Unified School District officials.

The exact nature of the communication was not disclosed. Reid said only that it contained a “threat of violence.”

According to the lieutenant, the juvenile responsible for the message was quickly identified and, under questioning, “admitted to officers that while he did generate the post, he had no intention of following through with the threat.”

The boy, whose identity was not disclosed, was booked into Southwest Juvenile Hall.

It’s the second time this week that a male student from the Vista Murrieta campus has been arrested for making terrorist threats. On Monday, a 14-year-old boy was taken into custody after he posted a threatening message via Snapchat.

Wednesday’s arrest came hours before the deadly attack at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a former student. In that case, the alleged 19-year-old shooter, Nikolas Cruz, had posted numerous messagescontaining threats of violence on social media, according to published reports.

Reid said the Murrieta Police Department considers any threat toward schools, studentsand staff unacceptable, “and when probable cause exists, criminal charged will be filedagainst offenders.”