Two students at Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo are accused of making threats in separate cases.
According to court documents, in one case, a student is accused of posting on Instagram, "Ik everybody scared I'm still shooting the school up tmr."
That student has been charged with making a threat of mass harm. A Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order has also been filed against him. That is a red flag order filed by the Buffalo Police Department.
WATCH: 'Watch your back': Two students in Buffalo accused of making threats
'Watch your back': Two students in Buffalo accused of making threatsDocuments explain a 15-year-old student threatened a third student, saying, "I want to kill you and your friends." In another message, court documents reveal the student received a message that read "Watch your back."
Police said the messages were sent via Instagram to an ex-girlfriend in Arabic and then translated into English. The ex-girlfriend went to the police with her parent.
According to police, threat of mass harm charges are pending against the student who sent those messages.
Police said the school showed a video about school shootings. Later that day, they explained these texts were sent.
The 7 News I-Team reached out to Tapestry Charter School for details. The Executive Director, Jeremy Esposito, shared this statement,
Tapestry families, I want to take a moment to thank you for your patience, support, and partnership as we addressed the social media threat that recently came to our attention. We understand that situations like this can create concern and anxiety for families, students, and staff, and we recognize the importance of keeping our school community informed. I am pleased to share that we had a safe and successful school day today. Our students and staff were able to participate in a regular school day of joyful learning at Tapestry. In addition, a representative from the Buffalo police department has confirmed that there is no credible threat to the school at this time. Thank you to our students, staff, families, school administrators, and law enforcement partners for their collaboration and commitment to keeping our schools safe. By working closely together, we were able to learn that a student had sent a threatening message to a peer. We also learned that a separate individual had posted a social media message implying that there was a threat to Tapestry. At this time, law enforcement has met with both individuals and has shared that they do not believe the threat was credible. It is important to note that our school community takes all threats of violence extremely seriously. As a result, students who make threatening statements, whether in person or through social media, face disciplinary consequences up to and including expulsion from school. Due to educational privacy laws, we can not share specific information about consequences for students. However, I want to let families know that any student found responsible for making threats of violence will not be permitted to be on our campus as we pursue the appropriate consequences for their actions. Once again, the safety of our children and our staff is our first priority. We believe that we have a beautiful and joyful culture at Tapestry. And, at the same time, we will always take all reports of threats seriously and will respond accordingly. We also encourage families to continue having conversations with their children about responsible social media use and the importance of reporting anything that appears threatening or concerning to a trusted adult. Please know that we remain committed to providing a safe environment where every student can learn, grow, and thrive. We appreciate your continued trust and support.
