A Charlottetown youth is expected to face charges after a threat was allegedly made over Facebook about a possible shooting at a city high school.
Deputy Chief Gary McGuigan said Friday an unnamed male was questioned about the threat against Charlottetown Rural High School and charges will likely be laid.
“We are going to be looking at charges to see what charges are available, what punishments are available so that people realize that there are consequences for this type of behaviour,” he said.
“You're not always anonymous behind your computer. There are ways to identify people who use Internet chat rooms or social networks.”
Mr. McGuigan said a computer was seized during the investigation and was being examined.
Authorities were notified Tuesday night about a threat posted on Facebook that warned there would be a shooting at the school on Wednesday and that people should hide.
Police treated the threat seriously and were at the school early Wednesday before students started to arrive. They stayed there throughout the day and access was allowed only through the building's main entrance.
Police also called on two external agencies to assist them in determining the source of the threatening Facebook post, including another police agency and a technology firm.
But Mr. McGuigan said it was interviews with people connected to the Facebook page and others in the community that led to police identifying the culprit.
After identifying and interviewing the young man, police said they are satisfied he never truly intended to shoot anyone.
“We can confirm that it was a hoax and there was no real intent to carry through with the threat that was made,” Mr. McGuigan said.
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