SOLON, Ohio– The Solon Police Department and Solon City School District determined a threatening message on social media was not credible.
The post started circulating on Instagram direct messages among Orchard Middle School students Monday night, the school district said. Several students alerted administrators and counselors.
In less than two hours, police said they identified a middle school boy as the suspect and he admitted writing the message. The Cuyahoga County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office will review the case for charges.
“We urge you to discuss proper social media protocols and usage with your child. It has become clear that many Orchard students have several social media accounts on multiple platforms. The majority of social media sites and apps require users to be 13. If you allow your child to use social media, we urge you to play an active role in your child’s social media usage by monitoring texts, direct messages, snapchats and tweets, etc.,” said principal Cari Mineard, in a letter to parents on Tuesday.
The principal also asked parents to remind children to immediately share troubling messages with a trusted adult and screen shot any posts that cause concern.