A-P student arrested, charged with threat of terrorism

An Aplington-Parkersburg student was arrested T hursday and is being held after allegedly posting a threatening picture and comment on social media relating to school.

“The Parkersburg Police Department received information from the Anne Arundel County Police in Massachusetts regarding a social media post made by a juvenile Parkersburg resident that contained a threat of violence toward our school(s). The threat was taken seriously and was promptly investigated,” Parkersburg Police Chief David Jara said in a statement.

“The investigation led to the arrest of a 15-year-old male juvenile for Threats of Terrorism. The juvenile has been taken into custody and lodged in the juvenile detention center pending a court hearing. At this time, no additional threat has been identified.”

According to a notification sent by the school to parents, the student was acting alone. Police provided an enhanced presence at A-P schools.

“The school takes our student safety seriously and is working closely with law enforcement to insure a safe environment for all of our students today,” the message said.

Superintendent Jon Thompson said providing a safe environment is a priority.

“The individual has been arrested and will be detained for the foreseeable future and will not return to our school,” Thompson said. “We are confident our students are safe, and that is first and foremost in our minds. Local law enforcement did an outstanding job getting out ahead of this, having it resolved overnight, and we also appreciate county officials’ involvement as well.”

Some reporting for this article was contributed by Robert Maharry.