A 13-year-old has been arrested in Indiana after he told Siri that he was going to shoot up a school. However, the arrest was made because it was taken a step further when the boy posted a screenshot of the exchange on his social media.
Siri had provided a list of nearby schools. People who saw the screenshot contacted police. A second boy, age 14, was also arrested after he posted photos of guns in response to the screenshot. According to the Chicago Tribune, the younger of the two was charged with felony intimidation. Investigators eventually deemed the threat not credible, as the 13-year-old did not have any access to weapons. The young boy stated that he posted the photo as a joke.
The older teen who posted the photos of the guns was also determined not to be a threat. The police found that he no longer had access to the weapons he posted photos of. He was charged with intimidation and also criminal recklessness with a handgun.
The police posted a statement on Facebook.
"Police Investigating School Threat
The Valparaiso Police are investigating a general threat to school safety made today by a 13-year-old male, while he was visiting family in Valparaiso. The male reportedly stated to Siri, 'I am going to shoot up a school' and the reply identified multiple Valparaiso Schools due to his current location. The male then shared a screenshot of his Siri inquiry and response on social media. The male has been identified as a Chesterton Middle School student. His social media contacts shared this information with Chesterton Police, who contacted authorities in Valparaiso. The male made no direct threat to a specific person, school, or school system. It has since been discovered the male has no access to weapons and posted the picture on social media as a joke. The threat is not believed to be credible at this time; however, these types of communications are taken very seriously by the Valparaiso Police Department and our community. We continue to work with the Valparaiso Community Schools to ensure the safety of the students and staff.
The male is being detained at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center on a charge of Intimidation. The incident will remain under investigation by the Valparaiso and Chesterton Police Departments."
After a record number of mass shootings in the United States, sensible gun laws have become more important than ever.
People felt strongly that we needed gun control now.
The Democrat led House is about to hold the chambers first hearings on gun violence in nearly a decade this Wednesday.
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