A Fairbanks freshman is facing criminal charges after sending a threatening photo to a few friends earlier this week.
According to Union County Sheriff Jamie Patton, the freshman sent a Snapchat photo to “four or five” friends Tuesday night. Patton said it was a photo of the student with a gun with the caption, “Don’t come to school tomorrow.” The weapon was later determined to be an airsoft gun.
The following morning, one of the recipients of the photo immediately notified the school. The school’s resource officer was “immediately notified.”
“The male freshman was identified and later interviewed,” Patton said. “He was brought to the office immediately”
The student was charged with inducing panic and taken to the Central Ohio Youth Center.
Patton said due to the swiftness of the school’s response, no students or staff were in any danger.
Patton said the lesson from this incident is that some things should be taken seriously.
“There’s things you do not joke about,” Patton said. “Now, this young man is going to be facing criminal charges.”
Fairbanks School officials did not respond for comment by press time, thought Patton said school operations were not disrupted by the investigation.