ACTION 8 UDPATE: 3rd child arrested for making terrorist threats

Montgomery police have arrested and charged three juveniles with making terrorist threats.

Maj. Saba Coleman tells Action 8 News that a 13-year-old juvenile male, a 13-year-old juvenile female and a 11-year-old juvenile female were taken into custody by MPD Special Operations and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.

The unidentified teenagers are charged with Terroristic Threats and placed in the Montgomery County Youth Detention Facility. The 11-year-old female was also charged with Terroristic Threats and released to her guardian due to her age.

Montgomery Public Schools has released a statement Sunday regarding possible threats made to schools.

“Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) is aware of recent social media posts suggesting potential threats to our schools. We take these matters very seriously and have activated all safety protocols, including working with local law enforcement to identify those involved and take appropriate action. Schools will continue to operate on their regular schedules, with our priority being the safety of students and staff. We appreciate the community’s prompt reporting of this issue to both local authorities and the school system.”

MPS spokeswoman Jade Jones did not provide details about specific threats or specific schools.

But Bellingrath Middle School released its own statement on social media saying it was aware of a threat to its campus.

MPS wasn’t the only school system in our area dealing with social media threats.

Elmore County Schools released this statement to Action 8 News Monday morning:

“Social media threats to Elmore County Schools were reported on September 8, 2024, and we have been working closely with law enforcement to track down those involved. The Elmore County Board of Education takes all threats seriously. It is our intention to prosecute those who make threats against our schools to the fullest extent possible. We do not believe the threat made on September 8, 2024, to be credible, but law enforcement is still working to investigate the matter. If you made the decision to keep your student home from school today, please know that absences will be excused and not count against exemption or truancy. Our safety protocols are in place to include Student Resource Officers/Deputies on every campus, locked doors, heightened security measures in front offices, and following all our state approved safety plans. It is currently being reported in social media that a shooting has occurred on one of our campuses, this is false information. All ECBOE campuses are free from incident and clear. Local law enforcement are currently patrolling our campuses, and we will continue to have a close working relationship with them in keeping our staff and students safe.”

No word if the juveniles arrested in Montgomery are related to the threat in Elmore County.