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Teen arrested for social media threats against Blue Valley North students, police say

A 16-year-old was arrested on Sunday for allegedly making threats on Snapchat toward other Blue Valley North High School students, according to the Leawood Police Department.

Blue Valley administrators notified police on Sunday evening of a social media threat against the students, Capt. Brad Robbins, a Leawood police spokesman, said in a Tuesday news release. Officers contacted a juvenile suspect and his parents soon after.

The teenager was interviewed about allegedly making the threats and then taken into custody. He was transported to the Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center Sunday evening, where he remained in custody Tuesday.

“The Leawood Police Department takes the safety of our schools very seriously and there is not an active threat at this time. We have been in continuous contact with the Blue Valley School District to ensure the safety of students and staff,” police said in the release.

Police said the criminal case was forwarded to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.

In an email to families, Principal Tyson Ostroski said there would be additional police present at the school on Tuesday.

“While I cannot share information about individual law enforcement investigations or student discipline, consequences for threatening posts and images can include suspension and expulsion at the school level depending on the situation,” Ostroski wrote.

Ostroski encouraged parents to have conversations with their children about social media posts, saying: “Threatening language or images that would impact the safety of students and staff are taken seriously and have serious consequences. Thank you to those who shared concerns about these posts.”