ROCKLAND, MASS. (WHDH) - Two Rockland High School students have been arrested for allegedly threatening to commit acts of violence at the school on Friday afternoon.
Two freshman juveniles, ages 14 and 15, were arrested on charges of making terroristic threats and disturbing a school assembly, according to authorities.
Authorities say police were notified around 1:25 p.m. that two males, claiming to be Rockland High School students, called 7News and said that they planned to harm people at their school. A 7News security guard called the police.
Police Chief John Llewellyn said one of the students threatened to shoot up the school, while the other threatened self-inflicted harm.
“Fortunately for us, unfortunately for them, they called into the news station with their cellphones,” Llewellyn said. “The news station was able to gather their cellphones. Between that and social media, we were able to determine who they were.”
Both of the students allegedly responsible for the threat were identified, located and arrested within 30 minutes of their initial phone call, according to police.
Llewellyn said one teen was arrested at the school and another teen was arrested at home.
All schools in Rockland sheltered in place during the investigation.
Superintendent Alan Cron praised the quick work of all involved:
“The Rockland Police Department acted quickly to respond to this threat, and the individuals are in custody,” Superintendent Cron said. “I am very pleased that our faculty and staff and the police department worked closely this afternoon, following all of the policies and procedures we have in place in the event of an emergency. What matters most is that no one was harmed today.”
The investigation remains ongoing. At this time, it is not known if the threat was credible. The names of the suspects cannot be released due to their ages. The 15-year-old suspect was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation. The suspects will be held and will likely be arraigned in Hingham Juvenile Court on Tuesday.
I am very proud of the effort put forth today by our officers and school officials,” Chief Llewellyn said. “Thanks to an aggressive investigation, and in no small part thanks to the close working relationship between the Rockland Police Department and Rockland Public Schools, these suspects were identified quickly and arrested.”
Both teens are slated to appear next week in juvenile court.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)