OVERLAND, Mo. — A teen with a loaded gun was taken into custody outside a St. Louis County school Tuesday after he allegedly made threats to shoot up two schools.
According to St. Ann Police, the 16-year-old suspect posted an Instagram video of himself rapping and pointing a gun at Husky Academy and a school resource officer’s vehicle, reports STL Today. He also tagged Ritenour High School in the post. Both schools are part of the Ritenour School District.
Ritenour Superintendent Chris Kilbride said several students went directly to administrators when they saw the threat on social media. A report of the threat was also made through the state’s Courage2Report tip line. Deputy Chief George Ravens responded and located the suspect in his car in the Husky Academy parking lot. The teen, a former Ritenour High student, jumped out of his vehicle and fled, tossing his gun. Ravens pursued the suspect and arrested him about a block from the school.
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St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jiminez said the suspect was armed with a Glock with a fully loaded chamber and also had an extended magazine that held at least 15 bullets.
“Think about if we did not do what we did and jumped on this threat,” he said. “It was only a matter of time before he went in to shoot students, or the school, or the staff.”
The boy has been charged with terrorist threat in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting arrest. He is being held at a juvenile detention center in St. Louis County. Jiminez said he may be charged as an adult.
Jiminez said officers are also investigating how the teen obtained the gun, noting, “There’s a lot more to this and we’re looking to charge more people.”
Other St. Louis Schools Receive Threats
A series of threats posted on social media on Sept. 18 targeted at least eight schools in the St. Louis area. East St. Louis Senior High went on lockdown as a result, and Lift for Life Academy shifted to e-learning the next day.
St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Millicent Borishade said in a letter to families that some SLPS schools were also threatened and that the district would heighten security in response. On Tuesday afternoon, the University City School District canceled classes at Ladue Horton Watkins High School after it received a bomb threat.
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This week, Normandy High School restricted hallway movement during class time, kept recess indoors, and had staff monitor hallways after it received online threats last week.
According to the Highway Patrol, its hotline has received 102 tips for school shooting threats and 14 tips for planned attacks between July 1 and Sept. 17.
