FBI tip leads to arrest of Oklahoma teen suspected of school shooting threat

An Oklahoma teenager suspected of posting threatening messages and images of weapons on social media from inside a public school bathroom has been arrested by the local sheriff following a tip from the FBI. 

The threatening posts from the student, whose identifying information remains secret because he is a minor, were published on social media a month ago. After the bureau detected posts, it notified the local Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, leading to the student’s arrest. 

In custody, the suspect admitted that he had “plans” for an attack, the local sheriff’s office said. 

“This weekend, Tecumseh Public Schools was notified by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office about a month-old social media post made by a Tecumseh High School student that included threatening language and images involving weapons which were taken inside a Tecumseh High School restroom,” said the school district in a statement. 

The teenager was charged with terroristic threats, threatening acts of violence, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and obscene materials, according to local news outlets.

“The suspect had made a threat to shoot up a school where there would be a big event coming soon,” said Captain Jared Strand of the Pottawatomie sheriff’s office. “He admitted that he had plans. He was charged with terroristic threats, threatening to perform an act of violence, the violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and making or possessing obscene materials.”