PRINCETON -- A social media threat led to extra security precautions in a North Texas school district Wednesday morning.
More than a thousand students passed through metal detectors after police said a juvenile threatened to shoot up Princeton High School Tuesday using an app called Burnbook.
Though the threat was aimed at Princeton High School, the entire district was on high alert. Extra police officers were brought in to patrol and check book bags. Typically the district hast two full-time school resource officers on duty, but on Wednesday additional officers were brought in from the Princeton Police Department.
District officials said it was just a precaution. Princeton Police Chief James Waters said the juvenile is not a student in the district and doesn't live in Princeton. Police said he also posted a picture of himself, which helped authorities identify him quickly, track him down and then arrest him at his home Tuesday evening.
Police said they were tipped off by a local news organization that monitors the app. District officials told parents about the threat by e-mail, Twitter and Facebook.
"We believe we put out the information that we needed for parents to make a proper choice," said Philip Anthony, Princeton ISD Superintendent. "I have found we never win with what we put out on social media. You either put out too much or you put out too little."
Anthony said it was unlikely they would need the extra security precautions for the remainder of the week.
"We just wanted parents to know that there was a concern, but we did want them to know that the primary concern had been taken care of," he said.
Police said the juvenile will be charged with making terroristic threats.
