Girl who made 'joking' school shooting threat resolves case with letter, service
A Mariemont High School student who made a "sarcastic and joking" threat on Snapchat a week after officials uncovered an alleged shooting plot involving another student, resolved charges against her through community service and writing a letter.
The 15-year-old girl was charged in March in Hamilton County Juvenile Court with telecommunication harassment and initiating a false alarm. Both misdemeanor charges were dismissed Tuesday, according to court documents.
The girl completed 20 hours of community service and wrote "a letter about how her actions impacted herself and the community," the documents say.
The case was before Magistrate Alexxandra Jones.
The charges stemmed from Snapchat messages the girl sent the night of Feb. 14:
“ok I’m going to shoot up the school.”
“yeah get ready.”
“I’m ready to end it all.”
In an email to parents, the school's principal characterized them as "exasperated" statements sent "with the intention to be sarcastic and joking.”
The FBI, however, was monitoring social media and intercepted the messages, according to a police report. The agency alerted Mariemont police who went to the girl’s home the next day.
The school district at the time was on high alert because the previous week another student, a 14-year-old boy, was arrested in connection with an alleged plot to kill students and at least one teacher.
The boy faces charges including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking to try him as an adult. In May, a juvenile court judge ruled that he is competent to stand trial.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mariemont girl who made school shooting threat resolves case
