Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – A 12-year-old Howard County girl has been arrested on multiple criminal charges in connection with an online hoax threatening school shootings according to Howard County Police.
Monday police got a tip about a social media post claiming that someone was going to commit shootings at numerous schools in Columbia. Police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said an investigation found the threats were a hoax put on by a 12-year-old girl who set up a fake account.
The girl, whose name is not being released because she’s a minor, was charged with making a threat of mass violence, disrupting school activities and disorderly conduct.
“All very serious criminal charges as a result of what she thought was a hoax or a joke, and clearly that’s something that we take very seriously,” Llewellyn said.
Police said the girl is a student at a Howard County school, and that the school she attends has been notified about her arrest.
They are now looking into whether anyone else was involved in the hoax.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: CNN)
