12-Year-Old Threatens to ‘Shoot Up’ Methuen’s Tenney School

File photograph. (Image licensed by Ingram Image.)

An added police presence is expected at Methuen’s Tenney Grammar School Tuesday after a 12-year-old boy was arrested after making a social media threat against the school and one of its employees.

On Monday, Tenney officials alerted the Methuen Police Department’s school resource officer that a threat had been posted as a reply on the Tenney Instagram page, with the commenter threatening to “shoot up” the school. A particular employee was referenced as a target, police said.

Police were able to track down the owner of the account and the juvenile suspect was arrested and booked before being released into his mother’s custody. He will be arraigned Tuesday in Lawrence Juvenile Court. He has been charged with making threats to a school and threatening to commit murder, police said.

“We are deeply grateful for the students and parents who came forward with the information and contacted school administration as we take these matters very seriously,” Superintendent Brandi Kwong said. “Our school staff in conjunction with the Methuen Police Department reacted swiftly to the situation for the safety of our staff and students.”

Officer Michael Havey Jr. and his Methuen K-9 partner Rumi conducted a sweep of the juvenile’s home Monday and did not find any weapons.

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