Lexington PD makes arrest in Snapchat threat

Lexington, SC – Chief Terrence Green would like to notify the Town of Lexington community that a 14-year-old juvenile male from West Columbia was arrested for the charges of Unlawful Communication and Disturbing Schools for threats made through social media.

On Monday, April 23, 2018, at approximately 8:00 p.m., officers took a report of threats that were made through Snapchat where a subject referenced the Lexington Middle School and that he was going to shoot up the school. Other postings on Snapchat included an image of someone holding a rifle and a video of someone shooting a rifle at a range. The subject made reference to the Columbine High School shooting and Dylan Roof in his postings as well.

Detectives and the School Resource Officer from the Lexington Middle School investigated the case overnight and continued follow up on leads through the day which led officers to the subject’s home in West Columbia. During a forensic search of the subject’s mobile phone, detectives found images and video, along with specific Snapchat account information, that matched the postings on the social media application.

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, the subject was arrested by the Lexington Police Department and he was transported to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice for intake and detention.

Chief Terrence Green said, “The Lexington Police Department is committed to providing safe campuses for students, faculty and staff to learn and work. Threats through social media will always be taken seriously and fully investigated by our officers.

Cases like this highlight the importance of multi-agency collaboration and I would like to thank the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, West Columbia Police Department, State Law Enforcement Division (S.L.E.D.), Federal Bureau Investigation (F.B.I.), Secret Service and Lexington County School District One for their assistance throughout this investigation.”