A Beaver County teen is responsible for online threats made Tuesday to commit a hate crime in Pittsburgh, officials said.
Police spokesman Chris Togneri said at 7:30 a.m. today that officers traced the threat to a Beaver County home and determined it was not credible.
“Police interviewed a male juvenile and his family and determined that the teen had no intentions to carry out the threat,” Togneri said.
Investigators worked overnight with officers from several jurisdictions.
On Tuesday, UPMC officials said they were working with local and federal law enforcement in response to the threat to commit a hate crime at an undisclosed Pittsburgh-area hospital.
“We take the safety and security of the staff, patients and visitors within our facilities seriously,” UPMC officials said. “UPMC police and security are aware of the threat and we are working to ensure that our hospitals remain safe and open to take care of our communities.”
We're aware of a tweet directed to an undisclosed Pittsburgh-area hospital. We're actively cooperating with federal and local law enforcement as they investigate this matter and determine whether or not the information is credible. More ⬇️. pic.twitter.com/ElnRmFgefD
— UPMC (@UPMCnews) September 4, 2019
Police are continuing to investigate and thanked the public for offering tips.
They Tweeted on Tuesday the importance of speaking up at the site of anything suspicious.
.@PghPolice is aware of a threat made today to commit a hate crime in Pittsburgh. Our Intel Unit is investigating w/ LE partners, and working all angles.
— Pittsburgh Police (@PghPolice) September 3, 2019
We remind the public: If you see something, say something. Call 911, alert Police to any suspicious activity. pic.twitter.com/ICMsZybJYv
Mayor Bill Peduto also Tweeted yesterday about the situation.
Pittsburgh Police has been on this since mid-afternoon. They are working with all hospitals & federal agencies to determine and identify. We have established coordinated operations within hours of this posting. To keep updated follow @PghPublicSafety for any possible updates. https://t.co/SPOt0NvsNh
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) September 4, 2019
