12-year-old attends first court hearing since his arrest for alleged terrorist threats against San Antonio-area schools

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KTRK) – According to ABC affiliate station KSAT in San Antonio, a 12-year-old boy was arrested after allegedly posting threats against the school online over the weekend.

Since he is a minor, his name and face will not be revealed.

The boy was reportedly arrested on Sunday for allegedly posting a photo of a large caliber firearm on Instagram with several San Antonio-area school names and future dates in September.

The post mentioned schools affiliated with the San Antonio Independent School District, sparking an investigation into the threats.

In a statement sent to KSAT, the district deemed the threats implausible.

“We are aware of online activity circulating in local school districts' schools, including SAISD, that is of concern. Our SAISD Police Department has been investigating this activity in conjunction with local law enforcement, including SAPD, and at this time it is determined that this is not a credible threat,” the statement said.

According to officials, San Antonio police and Texas Rangers tracked down and arrested the 12-year-old.

On Wednesday, the boy attended his first court hearing since being arrested over the weekend.

“I don't think he's a danger to me or anyone,” the boy's mother told the judge. “The first altercation was when he was joking with another student. I reprimanded him and told him not to joke with his friends. I didn't have any further problems.”

KSAT reported that a decision on whether or not the boy will be released on parole was made before his next hearing.

The boy's attorney argued that the sentence was bullying, but the state and probation said continued incarceration was necessary given the child's history.

“There have been some incidents similar to the allegations in court, Judge. Last school year, he was caught wearing a bulletproof vest on campus. And in April 2023, he was sent to his alternate campus for making a threat against a school,” said a member of the probation department.

“When the search warrant was executed, two tactical vests were found in the house. He sent several pictures of firearms to the person he told he was going to shoot at the school,” the prosecutor said.

According to the news channel, the boy's mother insisted that her son not have access to firearms. She said he liked to wear camouflage clothing and tactical gear because he wanted to join the military and was a “military fanatic.”

“This is a serious matter,” the judge said. “Whether it's a joke or not, there are different ways to deal with it. If there are bullies at school, you talk to the mother, you talk to the school, you talk to anyone, but that's not how you deal with it.”

The boy was ordered to remain in custody and the judge scheduled the next detention hearing for September 25 at 9:30 a.m.