Charges laid against 3 teens after social media threat against Red Deer school

Three teenagers are facing charges after Red Deer RCMP allege threats were levelled against a high school in the central Alberta city.

On March 2, threats were reportedly made on Instagram, where several teens discussed bringing guns to Hunting Hills High School that day. The school was placed on lockdown as a safety precaution and RCMP took three boys into custody. The lockdown was lifted after the arrest.

Police said none of the boys had weapons on them and the school was not in any immediate danger.

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“RCMP take statements like this very seriously and investigate them as a threat to public safety,” Cpl. Karyn Kay of the Red Deer RCMP said in a Tuesday news release.

“People need to understand that uttering threats on social media is a Criminal Code offence and Red Deer RCMP will treat it with the seriousness that all threats to the safety of the public deserve.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "People need to understand that uttering threats on social media is a Criminal Code offence and Red Deer RCMP will treat it with the seriousness that all threats to the safety of the public deserve."

One 17-year-old and two 16-year-old boys are now facing one count each of uttering threats. All three have been released from custody, with numerous conditions, and are scheduled to be back in court on March 15.

Their identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.