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Ridley Middle School gun hoax taken seriously

Extra police will be at Ridley Middle School today after a student threatened on a Facebook page to bring a gun to school Ridley Park Police said.

This threat has been deemed unsubstantiated, however the Ridley Park Police and the school district take this very seriously and on Tuesday Ridley Park Police and the Ridley School District will monitor activity at the school throughout the day.

This threat is being investigated by Ridley Park Police and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division. RPOL members with any information about this very serious situation should contact the Ridley Park Police.

Tags: Ridley-School-District, gun-at-school, gun-hoax, ridley-middle-School

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Comment by RidleyParkOnline on February 21, 2013 at 6:52pm: 2/21/2013: Upland Police are holding a student at Main Street Elementary School after a bomb threat was called in and a suspicious package was found near the school, sources said.

Students at the school have been evacuated as a precaution, police said. The area is cordoned off and traffic is being diverted.

The county bomb squad was called in to assist police. In the DelCo Times

Comment by Rebecca Clemmer on January 29, 2013 at 9:40pm: Unfortunately you cannot tell it is a hoax until you investigate. Until then, you must take it seriously.

Also, the identity of the suspect may not be published as s/he is a minor.

Comment by RidleyParkOnline on January 29, 2013 at 2:14pm: The DelCoTimes writes that a 12-year-old middle school student is in custody for allegedly posting threats on Facebook that he planned to bring a weapon to school today (Tuesday) and gun down fellow students.

The boy, who is not being named because of his age, was taken into custody early this morning and charged with terrorist threats, unlawful use of a computer and harassment, according to District Attorney Jack Whelan.

The comments were posted on Facebook on Monday, Ridley School Superintendent Lee Ann Wentzel said. Police sources told the Daily Times the boy named individual students as targets on the Facebook page.

Detectives from the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force worked through the night to identify the boy. He and his mother were interviewed early this morning before he was taken into custody. The boy is currently being held at the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Middletown, Whelan said.

School officials were notified early this morning that the threats made on Facebook were a hoax and that it was safe open school today.

Many parents kept their children home, despite assurances from the school district that the culprit who staged the hoax was in custody, according to sources.

Comment by Jim McGowan on January 29, 2013 at 1:44pm: Post Traumatic Stupidity Syndrome.

Comment by Linda Shockley on January 29, 2013 at 12:44pm: What automated message?

Comment by WM PAT on January 29, 2013 at 12:18pm: Well my daughter did not go to school. We got a call this morning that they had arrested/retained a person of interest.

Comment by Dennis Sandusky on January 29, 2013 at 12:14pm: The threat can be deemed unsubstantiated and a person can be in custody. If the suspect doesn't have access to a gun, but made the threat, they can still be arrested.

Comment by krista finnegan on January 29, 2013 at 12:01pm: SO THE AUTOMATED MESSAGE SAID THEY HAD A "SUSPECT" IN CUSTODY, I WISH THEY WOULD UPDATE THIS AND LET US KNOW THE SUSPECT, IF IT IS DEFINITLY THE PERSON WHO MADE THE THREATS, AND WHY SINCE IT HAS YET TO BE ON THE NEWS

Comment by Sherry Zielke on January 29, 2013 at 11:59am: Howard, Thank you. I'm interested in the Intego's Parental and security software. I'll look into this. It's troubling today anymore. I hope whatever is happening this week in Ridley since friday gets resolved. I've been here many years and this is by far the scariest time in all the years I've seen. Thanks again.

Comment by Howard McCoy on January 29, 2013 at 11:47am: Sherry you are so right, the story is not about a threat at one school! In high school when my class decided to perform the musical "West Side Story" it was a big deal because of the knife scene. Today, without supervision, my grandchildren can engage in dozens of violent video games like "Call of Duty" and "Starcraft that feature violence, mutilation and... right in the privacy of their own bedroom.

West Virginia introduced a bill to study the impact of violent video games on children and in California a new law being debated in the California Supreme Court that would forbid selling violent video games to minors.

But I believe that solving any social problem begins with steps at home. My wife and I can't shelter our grandchildren (4 yr, 9yr, 9yr) from violent and inappropriate games, movies and TV shows, but we can guarantee ourselves that they don't obtain access to any of that in our home. For years in my business I've used Intego's parental and security software controls at my gateway and had no troubles absolutely, and unequivocally, controlling what comes into my network's computers and what does out.

Past that, I'm older and not really in touch with the new realities of school or high school so I listen and try to hear what my children and my grandchildren say. You're so right, there's more behind this story for all of us.