Online comment by local teen leads to arrest

The message was haunting: “Today at 11:30 est., I will attack my school with grenades and other forms of violence. Those (expletive) will pay. Watch here – cnn.com/live.news.”

The threat, left anonymously in the early hours of Oct. 5 on an online forum, never materialized. To be certain, a San Francisco Bay Area high-tech task force traced the message earlier this month to its source – a 15-year-old Rocky Mount boy.

The teen, whose name was withheld, attends a continuation school for troubled youth in the area, authorities said.

The California-based task force alerted Rocky Mount police of the message, and on Oct. 15, authorities conducted a search of the boy’s home, revealing drawings depicting explosions and other violence, but no destructive devices.

The boy’s computer is still being processed by investigators.

He was detained for making a false report of a destructive device, a felony, police said, and released to the custody of his mother. A juvenile hearing is pending.

“He claimed he didn’t expect anyone to take it seriously, but of course in this day and age, we take everything seriously,” Sgt. Thomas Seighman said.

The Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team based in San Mateo County, Calif., is a multiagency task force that includes the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, California Department of Motor Vehicles and local law enforcement agencies.

Rocky Mount police said they were happy to have the help.

“We have to take threats like this seriously,” Seighman said. “We’re thankful it didn’t materialize.”