Threats, including a 'clown' reference, lead to 3 students' arrests
BOSSIER PARISH, LA (KSLA) - Three Bossier Parish students - two girls and a boy - stand accused of terrorism.
The three ages 14 and 15 were arrested within the past 24 hours, Sheriff Julian Whittington and Bossier schools Superintendent Scott Smith announced during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
The students' alleged threats included shooting up a school, blowing up a homecoming parade and assassinating a coach and his/her family, the officials said.
"This Instagram stuff and these clowns and this false information that kids are putting out there, it's not child's play. It is a felony," Whittington advised parents. "So please, please be in touch with your young folks, look at their phones see what they're doing on their computers because this is a criminal offense."
None of the students who have been arrested had the means to carry out the threats, the sheriff added.
However, he said, that does not lessen the consequences.
"You're not too young to go to jail."
In one instance, authorities previously reported, a 14-year-old girl from Airline High School created an Instagram account, used a fake name that included the word "clown" and made serious threats.
Other schools were involved; the identity of those campuses is unclear at this point.
All 3 students are in detention and now have arrests on their records.
It appears that the students' parents were unaware of what has transpired, the sheriff said.
He sternly warned all parents to know what their children are doing online and with their electronic devices, which was echoed by the Bossier Parish School Board in a letter sent to parents Tuesday in response to the "Creepy Clown Posts."
Parents are asked to please be particularly mindful of their children's social media accounts, posts and profile photos that may include a person dressed as a clown. Posts mentioning violent acts and threats are considered crimes. Equally important is for parents to talk with their children about the dangers of sharing posts they may see, causing undue fear via social media. It only perpetuates rumors and hype.
The news conference was preceded by a student assembly at 2 p.m. in the Airline High auditorium during which sheriff's Lt. Adam Johnson spoke to students about how an early conviction could affect them. "We're doing you a favor by trying to educate you on some of the silly things that you do. It might be detrimental to your future."
After the assembly, some students spoke about what they learned and the benefits of such gatherings.
"It's so helpful to every student; I just think that every student needs to take it and learn it and just not participate in any of that," Avery Jeffcoat said.
"I think it was good because it showed people that if you do something bad it can always come back to hurt you," Derrick added.
Bossier School District's security director and the supervisor of school resource officers addressed students at each Bossier Parish high school campus about the serious repercussions associated with making such threats.
Across Red River, Caddo sheriff's deputies arrested a 16-year-old Woodlawn High School student Monday over similar posts on Instagram. The female student was charged with terrorizing. Detectives said other arrests are possible.
Those alleged threats also led to Woodlawn and Fair Park high schools being searched as a precaution.
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