SAN BENITO — Police have arrested a middle school student accused of threatening a school shooting, officials said.
Officers arrested the Berta Cabaza Middle School student at about 9 a.m. Thursday for posting a threat on Instagram “about a possible shooting that was going to occur at the school,” a city of San Benito press release stated.
Officers arrested the boy after the school district’s police department gave city police officers information “that a student approached school staff and told them that on Wednesday evening during a group chat a student in the chat made a threat about conducting a shooting at the middle,” the press release stated.
The student’s threat has led police to step up security at schools, the press release stated.
“As a precaution, San Benito Police Department and San Benito CISD Police will be providing increased patrols at our local schools,” the press release stated.
The boy was taken to the Darrel Hester Juvenile Detention Center.
“The San Benito Police Department would like to reiterate that threats of violence are taken seriously and will be investigated to the fullest extent of the law,” the press release stated.
The arrest marked the second time in the last three months a student posted a terroristic threat on social media, according to authorities.
In June, police arrested a summer school student, charging him with one count of felony terroristic threat.
Police arrested the student after he posted a photo showing himself holding a pistol, with the caption, “Don’t come to school tomorrow.”
