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Student’s online wordplay leads to school-threat investigation in Kamloops

A teen was investigated for making a social media threat against a school
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Threat made against Kamloops high school

What one student thought was an innocent play-on-words on social media became the centre of a police investigation into a possible threat against a Kamloops high school.

According to Cpl. Jodi Shelkie, police identified a teenage girl as the suspect behind an online threat against Sa-Hali Secondary School.

Police contacted the student and her parents at home, where she admitted to posting the message on social media platform Snapchat. Police did not detail the exact message.

The student had not realized that, what she thought was an innocent play on words, could be deemed as an actual threat, police said.

Officers determined that the social media post was not a credible threat.

“Every threat made on a school, no matter what media it comes through, is taken very seriously,” stated Shelkie.

“It takes a tremendous amount of resources to react to these threats and to investigate the source of the threat. It is critically important for parents to stress to their children the consequences of making inappropriate comments regarding such matters in any and all school settings.”

The student will not be facing any criminal charges.

READ MORE: Minister of Education wants to fast-track rebuild of destroyed Kamloops school

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

Graduated from the broadcast journalism program at BCIT. Also holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University.
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