LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An 18-year-old in Florida is behind bars in connection to a threat that went viral on social media.
The trend made its way to Southern Nevada with the Clark County School District Police Department receiving reports of similar incidents that were believed to be fake.
In a video released by the district, CCSDPD police lieutenant Bryan Zink said other law enforcement agencies are seeing similar posts.
"The Clark County School District Police Department is aware of a vague social media post regarding threats to an unnamed school being shared across the country via social media," Zink said. "It is not a joke. Individuals who chose to make these threats can face arrest for terroristic threats and other crimes."
Zink said the threats have been reported through the district's SafeVoice messaging system and the district believes the trend originated in Florida.
Mendi Baron is a psychologist and the CEO of Moriah Behavioral Health.
He said many teens don't think they'll be caught and that parents need to be involved.
"That can affect your future. It can affect your present. You can get [juvenile detention]. You can get kicked out of school," Baron said. "Teens have access to [social media] with a single tap of a button so when I talk to parents, the one thing I tell them is you need to get engaged. It may feel invasive. It may feel like you are pushing your kid too much but you need to know."
The district has dealt with a number of local threats and violent incidents in schools.
Recently, Shadow Ridge High School was on a hard lockdown after a threat there.
Parent Cameron Clark told Channel 13 he is now home schooling his sixth grader for a number of reasons and the continuing threats against his school was one reason that influenced his decision.
He said the threats were taking a toll on his child's mental health and he talks with his son about these issues.
"Stay engaged with the child," Clark said. "Talk to them daily. Find some ways to have those conversations. I think communication is a very important part of it."
