Police arrest Newton teen accused of making terrorist threats – Newton Daily News

Police have arrested a Newton teenager and charged him with terroristic threats and harassment for allegedly threatening to shoot up a school last night. According to a news release from the Newton Police Department, the teenager admitted to making the threat and admitting that there were firearms in his apartment.

On September 18, at approximately 8:29 p.m., police were notified of a Snapchat message circulating on social media warning of a planned school shooting involving firearms. While investigating the social media post, officers received reports that a juvenile had announced on Facebook that he would shoot at every school.

Officers found the teen – whose name is not being released – and took him into custody without issue. He has since been taken to the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center, a social services agency in Eldora. Police say they have been unable to establish any connection between the Snapchat author and Newton.

The teenager was charged with making terroristic threats (a class D felony) and first-degree harassment (a misdemeanor).

Superintendent Tom Messinger informed the families about the threats against the district. He said the matter has come under the control of the Newton Police Department and is being handled by them. Messinger thanked the individuals who reported the threats to law enforcement.

Safe+Sound Iowa was the reporting system used to notify law enforcement of the threat. The app is free to use and all tips submitted are anonymous.

LAST WEEK: DEBT THREATS

The Newton Community School District was the subject of other possible threats last week. These threats also came via social media. However, this particular case involved a viral and misleading TikTok video that many believed was a “hit list” for schools. Newton was among the schools affected.

As it later turned out, the document shown in the video was from the Georgia Department of Education and identified Title I schools. It referenced a school district in Newton, Georgia, but because of the similar name, police were notified and worked with school administrators to determine the legitimacy of the threat.

It was found that the threat was not credible.

Around the same time the TikTok video was circulating online, Berg Middle School staff responded to a potential threat, which again did not provide evidence. Messinger told Newton News it was a mix of bad timing and the hoax circulating on social media that caused panic. Officials say the threat stemmed from social media claims the teen had firearms in the apartment