Teen accused of threatening El Paso school on social media to be released on $750 bond
The teenager accused of posting a school threat on social media will be released on a $750 bond after appearing in federal court Monday, his attorney told ABC-7.
Dallas Carrera, 18, appeared before a U.S. magistrate dressed in blue jumpsuit and with his legs and hands handcuffed. ABC-7 learned Carrera will be released to his father and will not be allowed to possess firearms or ammunition. Carrera will also have to stay employed and all of his computers will be monitored. The FBI kept his cell phone.
On August 21, 2018, a person submitted an anonymous tip to the FBI regarding a threat made on the social media network Snapchat. The account’s user posted a photo depicting a box full of empty assault rifle magazines with the caption “Don’t come to school tomorrow.”
The FBI began investigating and immediately notified El Paso Police, Fort Bliss officials and the police departments with El Paso ISD and Ysleta ISD “in the event that the threat might be directed at their respective facilities.”
Through its investigation, the FBI was able to identity the phone number and internet service provider associated with the Snapchat post linked to the threat. The same phone number was linked to an El Paso Facebook account, the FBI said.
FBI agents and El Paso ISD Police went to the address listed on the Facebook account and met with Dallas Carrera, “the individual believed by special agents to be the owner of the suspect Facebook account,” a criminal complaint states.
During a non-custodial interview, Carrera allegedly admitted to agents he was the one who posted the photo with the threat on Snapchat. “Carrera stated he took the picture and posted the caption as a reference to a school shooting. Carrera stated the post was supposed to imply that a school shooting would occur. Carrera stated he understood why someone else would view that as a threat,” the criminal complaint states.
Carrera allegedly told the agents no one else had access to his phone – a Samsung Galaxy S9 – or his Snapchat account. Carrera said he used his phone to post the threat to his Snapchat “story,” which was sent out to his friends, approximately 50 people, the document states.
FBI agents arrested Carrera on August 22, 2018 and charged him with a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875: “Threatening Communications by posting a picture via interstate communication containing a threat towards other people.”
Carrera’s alleged threat was considered interstate communication because “Snapchat utilizes Google servers, which are located outside the State of Texas. When a Snapchat user sends a picture, video or message, the media first travels through Google servers and then to the recipient,” the criminal complaint states.
“This incident should serve as a reminder that threats posted online are not a joke. Anyone who makes a social media post threatening to be a potential active shooter should expect to be identified and prosecuted,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith A. Byers.
A spokesman with El Paso ISD told ABC-7 Carrera is not currently a student with the school district.
