5th grader charged with making terrorist threats against his school, police say

INDEPENDENCE, Ky. (WXIX) — A fifth-grader is accused of making a terrorist threat on social media about Summit View Academy in northern Kentucky, Independence police tell FOX19 NOW.

The academy is open Wednesday, like all other Kenton County schools, but there will be an increased police presence on campus, according to Capt. Mike Brock.

The fifth-grader was identified as the suspect who posted a threat on social media warning students not to come to the academy “because school is next,” he told FOX19 NOW.

Police went to the student’s home and seized the child’s phone on Tuesday, he said.

“There was a vague threat, but we’re obviously taking it seriously,” he said. “The parents (of the students) had no idea until we got there. We’re going to have a bigger police presence at the school today. There’s no threat at this point. We’ve already dealt with the situation.”

Police charged the student with terrorist threats, he said, adding that they could not arrest the student because of his young age.

The child will appear in juvenile court at a later date and will remain at home in the custody of his parents, the captain said.

Police did not identify the student, saying only that the minor attends another school.

Summit Valley Academy educates children from preschool through eighth grade.

Police are urging all parents to pay close attention to their children and carefully monitor what they do on phones and social media.

“You have to know what’s going on in school and outside of school,” said Captain Brock. “We have to go back to the days when we were really focused on our kids. With social media, it’s a huge global platform that these kids don’t really understand how it works in the long term.”

Summit View Academy Principal Jason Loreaux alerted families overnight about the social media post, which was then shared on social media by other students.

“The posts are about not going to SVA tomorrow because school is next. Many of these posts have been reposted by students,” he wrote.

“Please discuss with your child the importance of being a responsible digital citizen and reporting this information to adults. We commend the Independence Police Department and any agencies that assisted in their immediate investigation that identified and charged the person who sent the original message.”

“As a precautionary measure, there will be an increased police presence on campus tomorrow. Safety is our top priority, and this type of position is taken very seriously by the school district and law enforcement. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Police presence was also increased Wednesday in two school districts, including one now closed in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati.

Monroe Local Schools, in Cincinnati’s northern suburbs, are closed Wednesday due to a “safety concern,” the district said in a message to families.

“No credible threats have been identified, but schools are being closed ‘out of an abundance of caution’ because there was insufficient time to conduct a thorough investigation,” the district said.

School officials say they are working closely with the Monroe Police Department.

Students concerned about a potential threat are encouraged to call the state safety hotline at 844-SaferOh or 844-723-3764.

Two other north suburban districts, Middletown and Springboro schools, also announced Tuesday that they have increased their police presence due to threats on social media.

Springboro students who are absent Wednesday will be excused, the district said.

“Our district, along with the Springboro Police Department, was made aware of a threatening social media post involving an Ohio school district, Buckeye Local School District,” Springboro Schools wrote on its Facebook page.

“A Springboro student raised concerns about this post after it was shared on Snapchat. While the post indicates it originated outside of Springboro, with reference to the Buckeye Local School District, our district, along with the Springboro Police Department, continues to investigate this incident and treat it with the utmost seriousness.

“The Springboro Police Department will be increasing its presence in the district this week, solely as a precautionary measure. We understand the concerns raised by this unfortunate matter. As a result, absences related to this incident will be considered excused on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, in all school buildings.”

Last week, additional law enforcement was deployed to several school districts following an increase in threats on social media following a deadly school shooting in Georgia.

Several Cincinnati teenagers were arrested Friday.

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