Pennsylvania State Police and Cumberland County officials are urging parents to discuss the seriousness of school threats with their children, following a series of recent threats made towards schools across the state. The conversation should focus on social media, as it is the primary platform where most threats are initiated.
The call for parental intervention comes after multiple threats were made towards schools in the Midstate, including Susquenita Schools in Perry County and schools in the West Shore School District. In one instance, a 13-year-old boy from Mifflin County is facing charges of terroristic threats after he wrote "All die September 23" on a bathroom wall.
Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack emphasized that even if threats are intended as a joke or prank, they may result in serious consequences, including criminal charges. McCormack stated, "It’s going to affect their ability to get into college and all of those different ramifications. So, it has an even if you’re not being detained and you’re not being sent to a juvenile detention facility, it does have potential long-term implications."