Police say 15-year-old charged with felony for Snapchat threat that locked down Leechburg Area schools

Police charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with a threat made on social media Monday that resulted in all Leechburg Area School District buildings being placed on lockdown for a portion of the day.

Parents were notified about the lockdown by an automated voicemail message sent out by Superintendent Tiffany Nix.

The lockdown lasted from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the superintendent.

Leechburg police Chief Jason Schaffer said school officials contacted the department after learning about the threat made on the Snapchat social media platform.

“The threat on social media was made in reference to a gun,” Schaffer said. “The threat wasn’t directed at any specific individuals; it was general in nature.”

The chief said the threat was received by several students even though there was no intended target.

The teen, whose identity is not being released, is being charged with a felony count of making terroristic threats as well as a misdemeanor charge of harassment.

He is being charged as a juvenile, the chief said.

Schaffer said the threat was credible because the teen had access to firearms. He said police already were familiar with the boy from previous postings he had made on social media.

The chief said none of the boy’s previous postings threatened violence.

In her initial voicemail announcing the lockdown, Nix did not provide details about what was going on because police were actively investigating the incident.

In a follow-up voicemail, Nix noted the threat was made via Snapchat and that it originated outside the school.

“We knew that the threat was external and not internal,” she said. “This means the students in the school were not in danger, which I indicated in my (first) message.

“The reason for the lockdown was to keep any doors from opening that could allow the danger in.”