Maryland high school rocked by second student threat in two weeks

Montgomery County Police have charged a 16-year-old girl with making online threats of mass violence at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville.

Police said Thursday that the girl posted the threat on Tuesday on Instagram, where it was noticed by a Wootton student. That student’s father brought it to the police’s attention, the police department said.

Investigators identified the girl, a Gaithersburg resident, from her Instagram account and interviewed her and her parents, police said.

The girl “admitted to making the threats,” police said, adding that there was not an ongoing threat to the community.

Police did not name the suspect or specify the contents of the allegedly threatening post. The case will be adjudicated via the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. 

“Even when a threat is found to be noncredible, these situations are still disruptive and incredibly stressful for our students and families. We are grateful for the support from local law enforcement and our administrators at Thomas W. Wootton High School during this incident,” said Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Liliana Lopez, according to WDVM-TV.

The incident comes just over two weeks after another Wootton student, Kahlil White-Villatoro, 16, was charged as an adult with attempted murder. He is accused of bringing a gun to school on Feb. 9, brandishing it at a 15-year-old girl and opening fire on another male student.