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The Queen Creek Police Department has arrested a 12-year-old student in connection with a reported threatening statement.
On Wednesday, Queen Creek Junior High School administration notified QCPD of the incident, prompting an immediate investigation.
“While the investigation concluded that there was no credible threat to the school, the statement resulted in a disruption and interfered with the educational institution,” according to a press release from the QCPD.
The student was arrested for interfering with or disrupting an educational institution and booked into the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center.
"The safety of our community, particularly our youth, remains a top priority for our department. In recent weeks, we've seen a rise in reported school threats. Incidents like this one cause unnecessary fear among students, parents and staff, disrupt the school environment, and strain valuable police resources," Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice stated in the release. "We will not tolerate any actions that compromise the safety of our schools and will continue to hold individuals accountable for such behavior."
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, police stated.
A spokeswoman for the Queen Creek Unified School District stated in an email that students “making threats are subject to disciplinary consequences in accordance with governing board policies and our student code of conduct.”
“We encourage parents to talk with their child about the negative repercussions of using unsafe language, not only to themselves from a school disciplinary standpoint, but also the impact such words can have on other students,” stated Amanda deNight, director of marketing and public relations, in the email.
Police are also asking parents and guardians to talk to their children about the serious legal effect words or actions can have.
“If you say it, text it, write it, snap it or post it on social media, you can face serious consequences. Even if it was meant to be a joke, making a fake threat of violence is a crime,” the statement continued.
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