From P.K. Johnson
Millbrook Alabama
On Sunday, September 8, 2024, at approximately 10:00 PM, the Millbrook Police Department became aware of social media activity making threats towards schools in the Millbrook area, specifically Stanhope Elmore High School and Millbrook Middle School, at which time we began working in concert with the Elmore County Board of Education, initiating an investigation.
At approximately 10:45 PM, Millbrook police and Elmore County Board of Education officials were able to identify a 12-year-old juvenile, making contact with both the juvenile and her parents, who cooperated with our investigation. Pursuant to our initial investigation, it was ascertained that the juvenile in question was not responsible for creating the original social media post, but that the juvenile did participate in creating/commenting additional threats on said post, thus being in violation of Making a Terroristic Threat.
A petition was filed against the juvenile for the offense Making a Terrorist Threat in the Elmore County Juvenile Court, who hold jurisdiction in this case.
On September 9, 2024, with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Fusion Center, Millbrook police were able to locate the source of the original social media post, as well as identify the person responsible, who was identified as a 12-year-old Millbrook Middle School student, residing in Prattville. Contact was made with both the juvenile and their parent, who is cooperating with law enforcement in this investigation. Charges will be filed against the juvenile offender for the offense of Making a Terroristic Threat in the Elmore County Juvenile Court.
Chief P.K. Johnson said “I want to thank the Elmore County Board of Education, FBI Central Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Prattville Police Department for their assistance in this case. It’s been a very long night and an even longer day since our department learned of these threats via social media. I want to personally thank Corporal Kristen White, who is one of our department’s (2) School Resource Officers, as she immediately began investigating this case upon receiving notification of the threats directed at our local schools. It is her determination, persistence and professionalism that allowed us to quickly identify the persons responsible for these threats made via social media.”
While our initial investigation has concluded, resulting in the identification of those responsible for these threats, which resulted in many parents holding their children out of school today, not only here in Millbrook, but throughout Elmore County, we are by no means finished with this investigation. I had occasion to speak with school officials throughout the day and I can tell you that these threats severely disrupted every aspect of the school day. Our students that did attend class today were restricted in their movements about campus, not being allowed to take their regularly scheduled breaks or eat lunch in the lunch room. I’m also aware that all school related activities were cancelled, to include all athletic and extracurricular activities, out of concern for the safety and security of the students. In short, today was not a good day for our students, concerned parents, teachers and faculty at the affected schools, nor law enforcement officials.
Because of the total disruption caused by these senseless social media threats, as well as similar cases in the surrounding area, I feel it necessary to address this issue moving forward. Know that the two juvenile offenders identified in this case face felony charges in Elmore County Juvenile Court. While both are only 12 years of age, their actions disrupted the daily operations of our schools, which impacted all of our students, which will not be tolerated. We will pursue the prosecution of this case and any similar cases that may occur in the future, to the fullest extent of the laws in the State of Alabama. We cannot and will not tolerate anyone, regardless of age or intent, to disrupt the operations of our schools, nor will we allow our children or those responsible for their care to be endangered. This was not a harmless prank, nor will it be treated as such. A Terroristic Threat is a Class C Felony, which is punishable by incarceration from 366 days to 10 years and a fine up to $15,000.00 for adults. Obviously, juveniles are treated differently than adults, but children may be incarcerated under circumstances should a Juvenile Judge deem it necessary.
I want to commend our school officials, our officers and all of our law enforcement partners for their actions during this investigation and in taking the necessary precautions to protect the safety and welfare of our children. I encourage all parents to monitor your children’s social media activities, as well as encourage anyone with any knowledge of someone committing these senseless acts to report them to law enforcement. We cannot allow the actions of a few to disrupt our schools, nor endanger our children.”
