East Syracuse, N.Y. — An East Syracuse Minoa high school student was charged Wednesday with making racist shooting threats that forced the high school to go remote this week, police said.
The threatening text message said a shooting targeting Black students would happen at the school Monday. The shooting did not happen, but it did inspire copycat messages that hit other Central New York schools.
The ESM student was charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony and hate crime, and threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor, according to a Manlius Police Department news release. The 16-year-old male student was arraigned and released, according to Sgt. Kenneth Hatter, a spokesperson for the Manlius police.
Police said they quickly determined the number that sent the racist messages was an imitated one. Using software, however, police said they identified the student.
The student admitted to making the threats, police said.
In response to the messages, the ESM high school switched to remote learning Monday. The school annouced that it has now added new weapon detectors to its front entrance.
Police said the messages were sent hours after after the high school’s Homecoming dance, where multiple fights broke out, with some being verbal and others physical. Police have not confirmed whether the fights and threat were connected.
The high school student’s messages inspired similar threats received by students at other schools in Onondaga County, including Syracuse’s Corcoran High School and Henninger High Schools, Solvay High School and Syracuse Academy of Science.
Those messages also threatened shootings and included racist language, police said. Police said they don’t believe the messages were sent by the same people.
Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at 315-690-6950, at falba@syracuse.com, or on Twitter at @byfernandoalba.