FALLSBURG — According to Fallsburg Central School District Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz, the Fallsburg Police Department has arrested a person in connection with making online threats against the Fallsburg Central School District on Friday, September 20. The threats, which talked about a potential shooting, circulated mostly on Snapchat.

Fallsburg Chief of Police, Brendan Pavese, confirmed that a 12-year-old juvenile was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat; a felony. “The suspect was released back to his parents’ custody pending a future family court appearance,” Pavese stated.

“This information came to our attention from parents, students and staff who had the presence of mind to say something after they saw something on social media,” Dr. Katz said.

The Fallsburg Police were assisted in the investigation by the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police.

The threats, though primarily on Snapchat, were spread across other platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Dr. Katz also thanked the Fallsburg Police saying, “The Police Department worked around the clock... This school community and I owe a debt of gratitude for their vigilance in getting to the bottom of these threats so quickly.”

Furthermore, Dr. Katz said that this is now the unfortunate reality that schools across the country face ongoing threats of violence. He said that the district and police have a “zero tolerance” stance when it comes to any threats, no matter how vague or specific they may be.

The Fallsburg Central School District faces this threat as schools nationwide continue to experience violent incidents. The most recent example happened at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where two 14-year-old students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting. Nine others, including eight students and one teacher, were wounded and hospitalized.

“I am very thankful that we have a school community that has the presence of mind to share concerns... This needs to continue so that we can keep each other safe,” said Dr. Katz.