Police: 13-year-old student charged with making a threat

Police in southern Idaho say prosecutors are charging a 13-year-old student with threatening violence at a Rupert middle school.

The Times-News reports investigators believe the child made the threats Aug. 29 in an online chatroom on the social media platform Instagram. Police say the alleged threats were made against individuals at East Minico Middle School, not against the entire school.

Still, because of the nature of the threats, officials temporarily increased the presence of law enforcement officers at all the schools in the district.

Rupert Police Chief James Wardle said in a prepared statement that law enforcement takes threats against schools seriously and will always err on the side of caution to ensure students are safe.

AP Only 2019