A 13-year-old has been charged with falsely reporting an incident, in connection with a threat against North Park Junior High School last week. Lockport Police Chief Michael Niethe says the school received a tip Thursday that two North Park students had access to guns and would be bringing them to school on Friday to “shoot up the place."
Police and the school district investigated the threat and say the 13-year-old admitted sending the tip. Due to the suspect's age, the matter has been turned over to the Niagara County Probation Department for further prosecution.
Niethe maintains that there was no substantiated threat to North Park Junior High School, no guns were brought to the school and the “two North Park students” who supposedly had access to guns were fictitious.
Schools Superintendent Michelle Bradley says there were two other threats against Lockport schools Thursday. She posted an update on all incidents on the districtwebsite:
"This message is to inform you of the general status of the students involved in the incidents last Thursday within the Lockport City School District.
Lockport High School INCIDENT
- two students involved in a social media post
- both students not in school until further notice
- one student arrested related to the disruption caused by social media
Emmet Belknap Intermediate School INCIDENT
- one student involved in making a concerning comment in school
- student not in school until further notice
North Park Jr High School INCIDENT
- two students involved in developing a false anonymous tip
- both students not in school until further notice
Thank you to the Lockport Police Department for their immediate involvement in investigating all cases and their increased presence on school grounds."
