NORWOOD, MA - Norwood Police have arrested a 12-year-old middle school student in connection with a threat of a mass shooting at Coakley Middle School.
WCVB5 reported that police received information on Friday morning that a group text was sent out warning “of a shooting that was going to take place at Coakley Middle.” Police said that the text indicated that the number could not be traced.
However, despite efforts to “mask the number’s origin,” detectives were able to identify the source of the text and speak with the suspected student before 10:30 a.m. on Friday.
As investigators worked to trace the source of the text message, officers in uniform and plain clothes were posted at Coakley Middle School as well as Norwood High School as an additional security measure.
According to police, some elements of the text message “suggested that the person who sent it had some knowledge of Coakley Middle.” Police also said that the text message “contained passing references to an ‘army’ and alluded to the motive having to do with an event 17 years ago that was not otherwise explained.”
Due to the suspected student traveling with family out of state when the threat was made, Norwood police did not release details about the investigation until Friday afternoon. They posted on their website that the threat was not considered credible.
Norwood Public Schools did update Coakley Middle School families twice on Friday morning.
Upon the student’s arrival back to Norwood with their family on Sunday, detectives obtained a search warrant for the student’s home. During the execution of the warrant a cell phone was seized, and the student was arrested.
The student, who has not been identified by police, confessed to making the threat and police said that the student would not be in school on Monday.
Police stated that there were no firearms located in the home.
WCVB5 reported that police received information on Friday morning that a group text was sent out warning “of a shooting that was going to take place at Coakley Middle.” Police said that the text indicated that the number could not be traced.
However, despite efforts to “mask the number’s origin,” detectives were able to identify the source of the text and speak with the suspected student before 10:30 a.m. on Friday.
As investigators worked to trace the source of the text message, officers in uniform and plain clothes were posted at Coakley Middle School as well as Norwood High School as an additional security measure.
According to police, some elements of the text message “suggested that the person who sent it had some knowledge of Coakley Middle.” Police also said that the text message “contained passing references to an ‘army’ and alluded to the motive having to do with an event 17 years ago that was not otherwise explained.”
Due to the suspected student traveling with family out of state when the threat was made, Norwood police did not release details about the investigation until Friday afternoon. They posted on their website that the threat was not considered credible.
Norwood Public Schools did update Coakley Middle School families twice on Friday morning.
Upon the student’s arrival back to Norwood with their family on Sunday, detectives obtained a search warrant for the student’s home. During the execution of the warrant a cell phone was seized, and the student was arrested.
The student, who has not been identified by police, confessed to making the threat and police said that the student would not be in school on Monday.
Police stated that there were no firearms located in the home.
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