Police arrest a student who posted a bomb threat against a Colorado high school

Police on Sunday arrested a teenager who posted a bomb threat on social media and told his classmates they could be killed if they attended class at a Colorado high school on Monday.

According to John Romero, a spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department, the unidentified juvenile is a student at Green Mountain High School.

According to Romero, the post was posted anonymously on an Instagram page used by Green Mountain students to “vent.” The department received numerous Safe2Tell reports about the post on Saturday.

Police from four agencies immediately searched the school's campus and determined that the threat was in fact a hoax.

Investigators later tracked down the source of the message. The juvenile was arrested and charged with Harassment and Disturbance of School – Credible Threat, a serious misdemeanor.

No motive could be determined.

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Safe2Tell is a successful violence intervention and prevention program for students to anonymously report threats to their safety and that of others. It was founded two decades ago, at least in part in response to the mass shooting at Columbine High School five years earlier.

Data from Safe2Tell's first month of the 2024 school year showed 1,807 reports were filed, a 23% increase from the number a year ago.

Safe2Tell reports can be made 24/7 by calling 1-877-542-SAFE (7233), on their website via their mobile app, or by texting S2TCO to 738477.