Authorities warn students about posting anything threatening on social media, even if it’s done in jest.

Be Careful What You Post on Social Media

Authorities warn students about posting anything threatening on social media, even if it’s done in jest.

  • May 23, 2017

A 16-year-old student from Ohio was arrested after making a “joke” about bringing a gun to school on one of his social media accounts. Another student saw the post and reported it, which immediately caused authorities to take action and make the arrest.

The suspect told authorities he was only making a joke when he posted a picture of a gun along with the post “don’t come to school tomorrow.’ Police did note that the student made the post on a Saturday so school wouldn’t have been in session on a Sunday, and the gun image did not depict the student holding the gun; it was simply an image he’d copied from online.

Although there was no real threat, the student was arrested for inducing panic.

In the alert sent to parents, West Clermont Local Schools said, "Please let your children know that even if threats are meant as a joke, both West Clermont and law enforcement authorities take them seriously and will vigorously pursue charges to the extent of the law."

So, be mindful of what you write on social media. A good rule of thumb: if it could be misconstrued as a threat, don’t post it.

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