School Threats

Courtesy MGN

DENTON, MD - The Denton Police Department has charged a 14-year-old after they were alerted to alleged threats of a school shooting Thursday.

Denton police say they received a report on October 3rd of a Tik Tok social media post originating from Denton that referenced bringing a gun to a middle school to  "shoot it up." The social media post was initially detected by the FBI, according to Denton Police.

The ensuing investigation led police to identify a 14-year-old girl in Denton as the Tik Tok user, police say. Officers arrived at the girl's home and interviewed her with her guardian present. Police say the teen admitted to making the post as a joke between friends and had no intention of harming anyone.

Denton Police have referred the girl to the Department of Juvenile Justice on a charge of threat of mass violence.

"There are two significant points that we would like to highlight," Denton police said of the incident. "First and foremost, it was proven there was no credible threat to our community. Secondly, and equally important, the system functioned as intended. Information was received, shared with the appropriate partners, and swift action was taken to ensure the safety of our community."