MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — A North Texas middle school student was detained on Monday after allegedly texting other students with a threat to "shoot up" their campus.
Midlothian Police shared information on social media about the arrest. The suspect will not be named, but police said he is a 12-year-old student at Walnut Grove Middle School.
Officials said they were called Sunday about threatening texts that were sent to a minor from a random phone number. According to police, one of the texts said the sender planned to "shoot up the school."
Officers later learned that those messages were sent to a group chat with multiple Walnut Grove students.
Officials said they couldn't figure out the sender at first since the phone number was traced back to a "burner application" that created fake numbers.
Extra officers were sent to Walnut Grove on Monday as a precaution. Midlothian Police said they identified and detained the student later that day.
The suspect is said to be facing a third-degree Terroristic Threat charge. Police said he would be held at the Ellis County Juvenile Detention Center.
"The investigation is ongoing; however, we have no reason to believe these threats were valid," police shared on social media. "There is no indication the threat made to the school was credible."
Editor's note: Police initially said the student was 14. Updated information indicates the student is 12.
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