After Facebook posts began popping up saying that local law enforcement had caught the person[s) responsible for online threats about potential school shootings, McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano III said that information is false.
On Sept. 26 posts started appearing online stating that local police had found and arrested the person allegedly responsible for the online threats.
Mairoano said he believes that rumor may have started when the Gallup Police Department made an appearance at Miyamura High School on Sept. 26. Officers took two boys off a school bus to be questioned about social media posts they wrote.
However, the boys were not the original posters of the threat, and were simply reposting it. They did not commit a crime, and their names will not be released to the public.
At this time Maiorano advised that people should not repost any online threats they see. Instead, they should report any threats to law enforcement.
“The reposting causes a lag in investigations to try and figure out who the original post came from,” Maiorano said. “So we’re encouraging all students, staff, family members, and community members not to repost these threats. It’s not actually helpful, it’s not looping anyone in, it’s actually causing more damage to the investigation.”
To report a crime or threat, call Metro Dispatch at (505) 722-2002.
