SAN ANTONIO – Since the start of the year, there have been several school threats and hoaxes at San Antonio schools.
KSAT reported the latest threat last Friday. A 13-year-old was charged with terroristic threats against Nimitz Middle School after allegedly making threatening calls and social media posts.
Justin Simmons, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, said these are serious crimes with serious consequences that can fall under federal jurisdiction.
“We’re going to do everything we can from local, state and federal to try and find the people that are committing these crimes and hold them to account,” Simmons said.
He said school threats and hoaxes are a huge burden on law enforcement as manpower, equipment and time are wasted.
The crimes unnecessarily cause panic and fear for both students, parents and the community.
Simmons said that it is the nature of the communication — how the threats and hoaxes are delivered — that could cross over the threshold to federal charges.
“So generally, if you send an email, make a phone call, send a text message, post a threat on social media,” Simmons said, “all of those are going to have some kind of interstate nexus that allow federal law enforcement to step in and investigate and eventually my office to charge those types of offenses.”
He said those charged can face at the least five years in prison, but if anyone dies or is injured as a result of a school threat or hoax, the punishment can increase.
“If somebody’s seriously injured, the punishment range goes up, 10, 20 years. If somebody dies as a result of your threat or hoax, you can get up to life in prison.”
Simmons also said consequences of being convicted of this federal crime could go beyond incarceration.
He said a felony conviction would appear on your record when potential employers conduct a background check and being a felon would prohibit you from possessing a firearm legally under federal law.
He stressed there are no excuses for committing these crimes.
“Just saying that you did it on social media for fun, that’s not a defense. A joke is not a defense,” Simmons said. “Even if you weren’t the one who directly makes the threat, if you’re a party to it in any way, you face the full consequences that the actual caller or messenger would face.”
“There are serious consequences committing these crimes regardless really of your age,” he added.
KSAT also contacted an official with the FBI San Antonio Field Office regarding the recent school threats.
In a statement sent to KSAT, Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran said in part, “The FBI and our state and local partners take every threat seriously, including hoaxes targeting schools and public places.”
“They are not jokes. If you see a threat of violence or are asked to make a threat on someone’s behalf — report it immediately to local law enforcement,” the statement read.
FBI and all law enforcement continue to urge the public: If you see or know something, say something.
Besides the possibility of federal charges, those charged with making hoax threats can also face local and state charges.
Tips about school threats can be shared with school administrators and local city police.
They can also be shared anonymously to Crime Stoppers by either dialing on the phone **T-I-P-S (8477) or online on the Crime Stoppers website.
Another option to submit tips is to the FBI by going to tips.fbi.gov.
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