Police say a relative tampered with a former Concord High School student’s Facebook account and posted a threat about a shooting at the school.
Within hours Sunday, police had identified those involved and deemed the threat not credible. Classes went forward as scheduled Monday but in the backdrop of an increased police presence at the school.
Concord police Lt. Sean Ford declined to disclose the identity of the 22-year-old who posted the message, who did not previously attend Concord High, but said there is no danger to the public. Police are considering possible criminal charges against the 22-year-old, and say their investigation of the social media post and the circumstances leading up to it are ongoing.
“The investigation revealed that a relative of the account holder gained access to the account holder’s Facebook account and posted a message that was easily interpreted as threatening to school safety,” Ford said in a phone interview.
In a press release Monday afternoon, he provided further details: “Revenge between the suspect and the unwitting account holder appears to be the motive for this incident.”
The former student whose Facebook account was compromised was quickly identified by authorities and referred to the care of mental health professionals. Ford said there is a history of mental illness and that the individual needed services that were unrelated to the events of this past weekend.
The department learned of the Facebook post on Sunday morning after someone captured an image of it and circulated that image among a group of Concord High students on Snapchat. Those students then reached out to the city police.
Upon initiating their investigation, police contacted district and high school administrators, Ford said. Four off-duty detectives were called in late Sunday, while additional officers working the midnight shift stayed on through Monday morning to assist with increased patrols at the school.
Ford and Concord School District acting superintendent Donna Palley said the increased police presence at the high school Monday was precautionary and to give students and staff “peace of mind.” Palley sent a message out to parents notifying them of the threat Sunday night.
“I’ve been in communication with the Concord Police Department throughout this afternoon and evening,” she wrote. “This evening the police located the individual at the center of this matter and have taken appropriate action according to their protocols. As of this time, all of our schools will be open as usual tomorrow. I will continue to monitor the situation.”
Ford said the Concord Police Department officials reached out to Facebook for help in their investigation. However, the social media platform refused to cooperate and told police they needed a search warrant.
Detectives and school officials said their conversations will be ongoing as the investigation moves forward and that the results will be shared with the public. Ford also said the department wanted to thank the students and parents who saw the post and immediately reported it to authorities.