HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody on suspicion of making social media threats aimed at George Washington High School in Mangilao.
On Monday, investigators with the Guam Police Department were able to identify and apprehend a 17-year-old male minor who was taken into custody on suspicion of terroristic conduct, terrorizing and obstruction of government functions.
The apprehension of the minor comes after detectives from GPD’s Juvenile Investigations Section launched an investigation into threats made to the Guam Department of Education high school on Oct. 16.
“Both threats involved violence to occur at the high school and were posted on the same social media account,” GPD spokesperson Officer Berlyn Savella stated in a press release sent to local media Monday evening.
Savella said that through the investigation, detectives were able to determine the threats were not made by the same individuals and prompted a second investigation before the 17-year-old was taken into custody.
The minor was identified by police, who were assisted by the Mariana Regional Fusion Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The minor was processed and later confined at the Department of Youth Affairs, while the case was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General.
First arrests
The 17-year-old was the third minor in the past week to be taken into custody on suspicion of threats made on social media.
Last week, GPD arrested a 15-year-old female student from George Washington High School in connection to threats of a school shooting made on social media.
The student was taken into custody on allegations of terroristic conduct, terrorizing and obstruction of governmental functions. She was confined at the Department of Youth Affairs and the case was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General.
Then, on Oct. 18, a 15-year-old male Tiyan High School student was taken into custody after he allegedly made posts on social media attempting to incite a riot at the school and for two separate assaults.
The front entrance of George Washington High School is seen Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, in Mangilao.
