ARLINGTON, Texas — An 18-year-old man was arrested in a reported threat against Arlington High School this week, after he claimed it was a prank, police said.
Kevin Martinez-Molina faces a charge of terroristic threat in the case, according to the Arlington Police Department.
Police said Arlington High School officials notified police on Thursday "about a potential threat" that was posted to social media. Investigators believed the post was inspired by other threats posted on social media over the last week.
After linking the post to Martinez-Molina, police said, officers questioned him Thursday evening. He told them the post was supposed to be a prank, police said.
Martinez-Molina was then arrested and booked into the city jail.
Police said they also arrested a Gunn Junior High School student this week after they threatened the school. Multiple people were "extremely concerned by what they heard," police said, and the student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threat.
"The Arlington Police Department will not tolerate any behavior that disrupts students’ ability to learn or places them in fear," the department said in a release. "We continue to encourage parents to have frank and honest conversations with their kids about the consequences of making threats. It’s NEVER a joke and we will never treat it as one."
North Texas police and school districts have dealt with numerous threats against schools in the first few weeks of the school year. Most of the threats have been unfounded or false alarms, though several arrests have been made for students accused of making the threats.
