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Police ramp up security at Arlington high school after social media threat

The Arlington Police Department said it was aware of a social media post threatening violence at Lamar High School and added more resources in and around the school.
Credit: Alexey Novikov - stock.adobe.com
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington police increased security measures at Lamar High School on Friday after reports of a social media threat of violence against the school. 

Both the Arlington Police Department and Arlington Independent School District confirmed they were aware of the threat, and out of an abundance of caution, added additional police resources in and around the school. 

Arlington police told WFAA on Friday it was investigating the situation and were working to determine who posted the threat. 

"We take all threats against schools very seriously," APD said in a statement. "We’d like to remind the public that making a threat against a school – regardless of whether that threat is real or fake – is a serious crime with serious consequences. We will not hesitate to file criminal charges against anyone who makes these threats."

In an update Friday afternoon, Arlington police told WFAA that after an investigation, they did not believe the threat is credible. They added that they "identified a juvenile male who they believe may be responsible for the post" and has been detained for questioning.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and any criminal charges are pending the outcome of that investigation.

Arlington police said because the suspect is a juvenile, reportable information is limited, but said they do not believe the juvenile is an Arlington ISD student.

"We would like to thank the students who saw the post and notified school staff, who then reported it to us," Arlington police said. "We would encourage all students, parents, and community members to report any threatening messages or suspicious activity they may come across so that our officers can investigate and take appropriate action."

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