Armed teenager arrested outside Husky Academy after threatening to carry out school shooting

OVERLAND, Mon. – A teenager with a loaded gun was arrested outside a St. Louis County school Tuesday after allegedly threatening to go on a shooting rampage at two schools.

According to St. Ann police, the 16-year-old suspect posted an Instagram video in which he raps and points a gun at Husky Academy and a school security officer's vehicle, STL Today reports. He also tagged Ritenour High School in the post. Both schools are part of the Ritenour school district.

Ritenour High School Superintendent Chris Kilbride said several students contacted school administrators directly when they saw the threat on social media. The threat was also reported through the state Courage2Report hotline. Vice Principal George Ravens responded and found the suspect in his car in the Husky Academy parking lot. The teen, a former Ritenour High School student, jumped out of his vehicle and fled, discarding his weapon. Ravens pursued the suspect and arrested him about a block from the school.

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St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jiminez said the suspect was armed with a fully loaded Glock and also had an extended magazine containing at least 15 bullets.

“Imagine if we hadn't done what we did and followed through on that threat,” he said. “It was only a matter of time before he went out and shot students, the school or staff.”

The boy was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. He is being held at a St. Louis County juvenile detention center. Jiminez said he could be charged as an adult.

Jiminez said officers are also investigating how the teenager got the gun, noting, “There's a lot more to this and we want to charge more people.”

Other schools in St. Louis receive threats

A series of threats posted on social media on September 18 targeted at at least eight schools in the St. Louis area. East St. Louis Senior High School was subsequently placed on lockdown and Lift for Life Academy switched to e-learning the next day.

St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Millicent Borishade said in a letter to families that some SLPS schools were also threatened and that the district would increase security measures in response. On Tuesday afternoon, the University City School District canceled classes at Ladue Horton Watkins High School after a bomb threat was made.

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This week, Normandy High School restricted movement in the hallways during classes, held recess indoors and had its staff monitor the hallways after receiving online threats last week.

According to the Highway Patrol, its hotline received 102 reports of threats of school shootings and 14 reports of planned attacks between July 1 and September 17.