A 17-year-old male juvenile has been arrested and charged with terroristic threatening in connection with a threat made towards Waiākea High School in Hilo, Hawaii. The arrest was made on September 7 after a Waiākea High School student received a threat via social media. The teenager, who is a student at Hilo High School, was apprehended at his residence in Hilo.
The Hawaii Island Police Department was able to identify the suspect after determining the social media app through which the threat was made. At 4:20pm on the day of the arrest, detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section charged the teenager with second-degree terroristic threatening. However, specific details about the nature of the threat were not disclosed by the police.
The investigation was initiated after a concerned parent reported that their child had received a threatening message from an unknown individual on September 6 at 10:00pm. In response to the threat, the police conducted a safety sweep of Waiākea High School and maintained a police presence on campus throughout the day to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The Hawaii Police Department emphasizes the seriousness with which they take threats of violence, particularly those targeted at schools and students. They have urged anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the department's non-emergency line or reach out to Detective Core Kaneko of the Area I Juvenile Aid Section by phone or email.