(Note from Sheriff Boudreaux)
Update: Sheriff Boudreaux would like to take this opportunity to ease the worries and concerns of parents whose children attend Wonderful College Prep Academy, in light of a recent social media threat that led to the arrest of a 13-year-old student.
Just before 3:00 p.m. on October 3, 2024, TCSO Deputies were contacted by the FBI regarding a school threat posted on social media.
Social media investigation led officers to the Pixley Middle School. Deputies quickly learned that the student who made the threat did not attend Pixley Middle School and deemed that school safe.
Through their investigation, Deputies learned a 13-year-old student who attends Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano had posted on Snapchat that she was going to shoot up the school.
Deputies tracked the 13-year-old suspect down at the TCSO Pixley Substation, which is where she was with her mother picking up her siblings from school. This is a common pick-up location for families in the Pixley community. Deputies arrested the 13-year-old at the substation for making criminal threats. However, no weapons were found at her home.
It is important for the public to know that social media posts like this will always trigger a law enforcement response, as we MUST take them all seriously. We recognize the alarm and concern it can cause for the community and, especially, parents whose children attend those schools. As with all cases the Sheriff’s Office takes on involving the safety of our children, we will always err on the side of caution.
Sheriff Boudreaux would also like to make clear that Deputies never responded to Wonderful Prep College Academy, as initial reports indicated reports led them to a different school in Pixley. The Sheriff’s Office regrets that school administrators were not notified about the threat, and measures have already been taken to prevent that breakdown of communication from happening in the future. However, due to the immediate nature of the threat and the difficulty determining where the actual IP address originated, focus was first and foremost on making sure students were safe.
Although the 13-year-old girl is a student there, she was found and arrested in Pixley. There were no weapons found at her home, and Deputies determined her fellow classmates were not in danger.
Sheriff Boudreaux wants to assure the parents and the community that this incident was met with an immediate response. The Sheriff is also very alarmed that these types of cases have become far too common. This also serves as a good reminder that parents should always be aware of their children’s social media posts, and contact authorities if anything seems suspicious.
13-Year-Old Pixley Girl Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Up School
October 4, 2024 – Tulare County Sheriff’s Office officials report that at around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, TCSO Deputies were called to Wonderful Prep Academy in the 2000 Block of Veneto in Delano for a school threat.
When Deputies arrived, they learned a 13-year-old girl had threatened to shoot up the school on Snapchat.
The girl was arrested for making criminal threats toward a school. Deputies did not find any weapons on her.
Sheriff Boudreaux wants to remind everyone that threats like these are NOT a joke and will NOT be taken lightly. ANY threat toward another student, whether online or in-person, will be prosecuted fully. Parents- please make sure your children are aware of the consequences.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at 559-733-6218.
Source & photo: Tulare County Sheriff’s Office