High school student charged with making threat to kill fellow student
Yorktown High School evacuated for 2 hours while K-9 teams search building

ARLINGTON, VA

Detectives with the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit today charged a 15-year-old male Yorktown High School student with making a written threat to kill a fellow student. The threat, made during an online instant message session last night, caused the school to be evacuated for approximately two hours while K-9 teams swept the building for explosives. The identities of the students are not being released because they are minors.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. yesterday, the victim’s parents reported to police that their 15-year-old daughter received a violent but non-specific threat while instant messaging with an unknown person. The threat indicated that the victim and others would be harmed at school the next day. The instant message did not contain specific information about how the threat would be carried out.

Officers searched the school at approximately 2:00 a.m. this morning and found no evidence of any danger. At approximately 10:00 a.m., Arlington Public Schools and the Police Department decided to evacuate the school and search the building using 10 K-9 teams, including officers from Metro Transit Police, Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police, Ft. Myer Military Police and Virginia State Police. The Arlington County Fire Department’s Bomb Squad was on stand-by at the scene. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force provided support by helping to coordinate responding agencies. In all, approximately 50-60 public safety personnel were involved in today’s response.

Making a written threat to kill is a class six felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,500. The suspect is currently being held at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Home.