Student detained after threat made to Las Cruces school

Centennial High School was the target of two threats Friday. The school was placed on lockdown as police tracked down those responsible. One of the threats was made on social media and district officials are warning students tonight, to be careful before you post.

Police say the threat made on social media is what initially spurred Friday’s lockdown. The district says they take all threats seriously, and a rise in social media isn’t necessarily helping.

“Social media process is similar in our view, coming up to you or I and making the same threat,” Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Stan Rounds said.

Early Friday morning, police got word of two separate threats made against Centennial High School. One was a threatening message on a restroom wall. Police say the more serious one was made on social media.

The district says they’ve seen an increasingly number of threats on social media. Like all cases, the problem is figuring out if they’re credible.

“The phone, social media, emails, texts, whether it’s snapchat or social media, rumble, tumble, whatever they have out there, there’s threats all the time. Either to other student, to each other, there’s just we have to really investigate,” Centennial High School Principal Mike Montoya said.

Police couldn’t say what kind of threat the 18-year old made, or what social media outlet it originated on, but police say it was enough of a threat to place the school on lockdown as they detained the student and took him in for questioning.

LCPS monitors social media use by students in the class but they have no real control of what’s posted outside the classroom, that’s why police are urging students to assess what’s appropriate and what isn’t–especially when it comes to safety.

“There’s also things that are bonehead that sometimes, are not wise to say. And we would like to remind people, please be aware especially when you’re dealing with students or school. Watch what you say and what you post, or what pictures or images you may share on social media because it could be taken a different way by somebody else,” Las Cruces Police Spokesman Dan Trujillo said.

“Any threats that you might anticipate that would interrupt education or would cause us to think your fellow students will be in an unsafe situation, simply is not acceptable,” Rounds said.

No charges have been filed against the 18-year old student. The 17-year old who wrote on a school wall was cited and will need to appear in court.The district says both could face school suspension.