Broadneck Freshman Charged With Making Prank Threat

BROADNECK, MD — A freshman was arrested for allegedly making a prank threatening phone call to Broadneck High School this week, said Anne Arundel County Police. Monday night officials learned of the phone message that threatened the school and the arrest was made the next day. There was an increased police presence at the school as a precaution.

Police around the county have stepped up their visibility at schools in the wake of the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 students and teachers. Authorities urged parents to monitor their child's social media and cell phone usage. Do not "share" threatening messages or posts. Anyone who receives a threatening message should notify police.

"Please talk with your children about the seriousness of these types of comments/threatening messages," police said on the department's Facebook page. "They are not funny and are disrespectful to the victims of mass violence, disrespectful to our community, and disrespectful to our schools. We are better than this!"

Officials warned that these incidents are not taken lightly and anyone involved in a threat against a school will be arrested and prosecuted.

After President Trump and millions of worried parents called a Florida sheriff's deputy a coward for not going into the Florida high school when the shooter was firing, an Anne Arundel County Police officer pledged he would do whatever was needed to save the kids at Northeast High School in Pasadena.

School resource officer Cpl. McAdams said students and parents shouldn't worry, because he's got this.

McAdams said in a private Facebook post that his department shared that he had been pondering the Florida officer's reaction. As a police officer his oath is to protect the children of the school he's assigned to.
"They are not only your kids, they are my kids too," McAdams said. "I will do whatever I need to do to negate any threat that comes our way! I will counsel them, I will guide them and I will help them in any way I can. I WILL NOT WAIT TO REACT!!!! I will take whatever action that is needed to keep them safe!!!!

Image via Anne Arundel County Police