GRANBY – A Granby Junior/Senior High School student was arrested Friday after police said he made multiple threats toward another youth and threatened to shoot up the school.
Police did not release the name of the 14-year-old boy, because he is a juvenile, but said he is a Granby resident. He is charged with threatening to commit a crime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; threatening to commit a crime, murder; and intimidation of a witness.
None of the incidents occurred on school grounds and police said there is no reason to believe any weapons were on the school campus. Students were on vacation at the time of the alleged threats.
The boy was arraigned in Hampshire Juvenile Court in Hadley. Police said he is being held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for this week.
Police said they began investigating the incident on Tuesday after someone reported to the Granby High School administration that a 14-year-old boy allegedly threatened on social media to assault another youth and posted a picture that showed three handguns on a kitchen counter.
That same day, police said they found the guns at the home of the teen who allegedly made the threats and determined they were all pellet or BB guns before confiscating them. The student was told by school administrators that he was not allowed on school grounds.
Two days after the first report, police and school administrators learned of more threats allegedly posted by the boy, directed at a different person. That person reported to police the boy had also made threats about shooting up the school, according to police.
Police arrested the boy Friday after obtaining a warrant.
School support staff will be available at the school this week for any staff or students who need assistance. The Police Department will also increase its presence at all the schools in Granby.
“The Police Department and School Department applaud the efforts and bravery of all the witnesses and parents who came forward to inform us of these serious concerns,” the Granby Police and School departments wrote in a news release. “We will continue to work together. We will always take these types of situations seriously and deal with them accordingly.”
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.