2 York high school students arrested after Snapchat violence threat video, police say
Two students at a York County, S.C., high school have been charged with making threats after a video depicting potential violence was posted on Snapchat, police said.
The students are ages 16 and 18 and both attend York Comprehensive High School, said. Lt. Billy Mumaw of the York Police Department.
The male students are charged with student threats and unlawful communication, York police Det. Thomas Dunham said.
A concerned citizen contacted York police Tuesday night after seeing the images on a child’s cellphone, Thomas said. York detectives and the school resource officer identified the student in the threat video and went to the student’s home, Dunham said.
Police seized a BB gun, Thomas said. The student admitted making the messages but said he was joking, Thomas said.
The student also admitted sending the video to another student who posted the video on the Internet, said York Police Department Chief Andy Robinson. The 18-year-old student admitted posting the video to Snapchat where it was circulated, Robinson said.
Threats of violence are never a joke and both students were arrested, Robinson said.
“We take every threat seriously as the safety of students and staff is our priority,” Robinson said. “There will be no tolerance for such actions.”
In South Carolina, the law for student threats states: “It is unlawful for a student of a school or college in this State to make threats to take the life of or to inflict bodily harm upon another by using any form of communication whatsoever.”
The posting of the video online brought the unlawful communication charge, police said. Snapchat is a social media platform and multi-media messaging app that allows sharing of photos, videos and other media items. It has over 180 million users, according to its website.
The 16-year-old is charged as a juvenile and the 18-year-old as an adult, police said.
York Comprehensive High School parents were notified of the incident, police and school officials said.
Both students were suspended from school, said Tim Cooper, spokesman for the York school district. No students or staff at school were hurt and the video was made off campus, Cooper said.
“We appreciate the quick and decisive action taken by the York Police Department in this case,” Cooper said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 11:32 AM.
