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North Texas middle school student arrested, charged for texting shooting threats, police say

Police said the teen used a fake phone number to text several students with a threat to "shoot up the school."

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."

On Sunday, February 25, 2024, patrol officers from the Midlothian Police Department were dispatched to a call involving...

Posted by Midlothian Police Department - Texas on Monday, February 26, 2024

Editor's note: Police initially said the student was 14. Updated information indicates the student is 12.

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