Juvenile arrested, suspected of terroristic threat hoax in Neosho

NEOSHO, Mo. (KOAM) - Police identify and arrest a juvenile suspected of a hoax terroristic threat in Neosho, Missouri.

On Tuesday, October 15, Neosho police responded to the Junior High as a request to investigate a report of a terroristic threats. While investigating, detectives learned that two juvenile males had taken a photograph of BB guns that was later edited and posted on social media by a separate 12-year-old juvenile female.

The photo had an added caption that indicated that a school shooting was planned to take place on October 16, 2024, according to the Neosho Police Department.

Detectives determined that this incident was a hoax, and no real threat existed.

In a release, the Police Department stated,

As of this time, the offender has been properly identified and has been referred to the Newton County Juvenile Office for formal charges.  It should be known that if the juvenile was an adult they would be charged with the following offense:

574.115. Making a terrorist threat, first-degree — penalty. — 1.  A person commits the offense of making a terrorist threat in the first degree if such person, with the purpose of frightening ten or more people or causing the evacuation, quarantine, or closure of any portion of a building, inhabitable structure, place of assembly or facility of transportation, knowingly:

(1)  Communicates an express or implied threat to cause an incident or condition involving danger to life; or

(2)  Communicates a false report of an incident or condition involving danger to life; or

(3)  Causes a false belief or fear that an incident has occurred or that a condition exists involving danger to life.

2.  The offense of making a terrorist threat in the first degree is a class D felony.

3.  No offense is committed under this section by a person acting in good faith with the purpose to prevent harm.

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