Tacoma student charged for threat joke

TACOMA — A Pierce County prosecutor’s spokeswoman says two Tacoma high school students have been arrested and accusing of making threats against their school.

The News Tribune reported that both 16-year-olds pleaded not guilty Tuesday in juvenile court to a charge of felony harassment. Both were detained until their next court appearance Nov. 4.

Both are students at Franklin Pierce High School.

The first threat was reported Monday by other students. Court papers say those students heard a boy speaking to another student Monday, threatening to harm or kill the school principal and two other administrators. At first the students thought the threats were a joke but they say he began pounding on a classroom table. Court documents say that boy later told police he was only joking.

The prosecutor says that on Monday evening, another boy tweeted that he was the one who would be “shooting up the school tomorrow.” Several students told their parents about that threat and parents contacted police. That boy also said later that he was just joking.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist says his office takes such threats seriously.