Staff Reports
FORT THOMAS – The Graham County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a disturbing social media post by a juvenile student at Fort Thomas High School, where audio messages threatening a school shooting were shared online, prompting a swift lockdown and police response.
The incident was initially reported to school officials on Monday, Nov. 10, at about 8:20 a.m., stemming from messages exchanged over the weekend between two students.
According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, the initial threat was made via text message on Saturday, Nov. 8, while one student was at home in Bylas and the other in Safford.
In the audio clips, the student — whose identity is being withheld due to his juvenile status — whispered and laughed as he asked, “Should I bring my 9-mm to school on Monday?” A second message escalated the rhetoric: “Do you think I should bring my 9-mm to school on Monday, so I can (expletive redacted) end everyone’s lives at school? But not yours… you’re a true soul!” The recipient responded minimally, with a grunt in one instance and no reply to the second.
Minutes later, the audio was posted publicly on Instagram with the caption “Scares Me!” The post was brought to the attention of Fort Thomas High School Principal Jayson Stanley by the student who received it, who shared the recording with him.
Principal Stanley alerted authorities and, on their advice, placed the school on lockdown to ensure the safety of students and staff as law enforcement responded. Graham County Communications issued an Omni Alert to all regional agencies, and deputies secured the school perimeter upon arrival, with additional units conducting surveillance in the surrounding area.
Interviews with the two students, conducted separately in the school’s in-school suspension (ISS) room and counselor’s office, revealed that both described the exchange as a “joke.” The student who sent the messages told investigators he and his friend were discussing “random things” when he said what he said as a joke. He clarified he didn’t mean to make a school threat and confirmed he has no access to weapons, including guns or knives.
Investigators emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting it was “not a joking matter,” to which the student responded that he understood.
The recipient student reiterated it was a joke and claimed the friend had previously made similar offhand remarks about bringing a gun to school — possibly last semester or at the start of the year — but dismissed them as non-serious because “he’s always saying random things.”
When pressed on posting the audio online, the student said it was meant as a prank and that he believed the Instagram story would vanish after 24 hours. He acknowledged awareness of past school shootings, stating, “Yes. People get hurt and die,” and confirmed learning about such tragedies in class.
Both students were described as “polite, cooperative, and forthcoming” during questioning, with their parents briefed on the incident.
Authorities have called for multiple charges, including threats of terrorism, threatening/intimidating, use of an electronic device to terrify, threaten, and intimidate, and interference/disruption with the peaceful conduct of an educational facility. The case has been referred to the Graham County Juvenile Probation Department and the County Attorney’s Office for review and potential charges.
