Suffolk County Police have arrested a 17-year-old for threatening to “shoot up” Sequoya High School in Holtsville, according to District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office.
Tierney’s office said in a news release that police had been made aware of an email sent to school administrators threatening to “shoot up the school” and warning them to “be prepared for bloodshed.” The school was placed into lockdown, and SCPD detectives – working with the district attorney’s office – were able to trace the threat to a Centereach home, 15 minutes from the high school.
“Anyone thinking of sending an anonymous threat should be forewarned that with the technological abilities of the detectives from my office and the Suffolk County Police Department, we will find you and arrest you,” Tierney said. “Unfortunately, under current state law, a mass shooting threat such as this cannot be prosecuted by my office and, as such, this juvenile will be referred to family court.”
Police have not yet released the name of the teenager making the threat, but Tierney’s office added that the teen said, “I can’t believe you guys found out it was me,” upon their arrest. The teenager has been charged with Making a Threat of Mass Harm, a class B misdemeanor.
A search of the Centereach home found no firearms or other weapons in the suspect’s residence.
