Consequences of posting and sharing threatening messages

El Paso police are urging the public that posting and sharing messages about school threats is not a joke.

Police spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said the department is aware of 13 different threats made to area schools, 11 of those were circulating on social media.

Since the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, police spokesman Sgt. Enrique Carrillo said the department has made four arrests related to threats. He would not say if those arrested were students, and would not say what they’re charged with.

Carrillo emphasized he did not want to discuss specifics of arrests because he does not want to give these suspects notoriety.

Emily Dawson, the Trial Team Chief of the Juvenile Unit of the County Attorney’s Office, tells ABC-7 juveniles who share threats are most commonly charged with Terroristic Threat or False Alarm or Report.

In Texas, a Terroristic Threat is could be a Class A Misdemeanor offense. If someone is charged with False Alarm or Report, it could be a Class A Misdemeanor offense. But, that offense could be upgraded to a state felony if the false report is of an emergency involving a public or private institution of higher education or involving a public primary or secondary school.

“If you’re charged with a high-level misdemeanor or a felony, it’s going to have an adverse and very detrimental impact on the quality of your life moving forward,” YISD superintendent Xavier De La Torre said.

Not only does a student who does this have to worry about the law, there’s consequences at school like having to go to an alternative school.

“It’s very isolated. They’re losing out on those opportunities to have that middle school or high school experience,” EPISD assistant superintendent Carla Gonzalez said. “They’re going to miss out on their extra and co-curricular activities.”