4 more teens arrested following rash of social media threats against Tucson schools

Four more teens have been arrested in connection with social media threats that have plagued Tucson-area schools over the last two weeks.

In the latest case on Thursday, Sept. 19, knives and a gun magazine were recovered, Tucson police said in a news release.

The seizure was made at an east-side high school, where police responded for reports of an armed student.

Two 14-year-old boys were detained with the help of Tucson Unified School District security officers. While a gun was not found, one student had the gun magazine, police said. The other teen had two knives and a THC vape pen.

The boy with the magazine was arrested on suspicion of felony disrupting of an educational facility. The student with the knives is facing two misdemeanors: carrying a weapon on school grounds and misconduct involving weapons, along with a felony charge of possession of marijuana on school grounds.

Both were released to their parents or guardians, Tucson police said.

Earlier this week, a 13-year-old was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 17, on a felony charge of disrupting an educational facility and a misdemeanor charge of threatening or intimidating, Tucson police said.

Officers were called to a south-side campus that received a threat. The student was arrested at his home and booked into the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center.

The following day, on Sept. 18, Tucson police were called to a downtown high school for a fight involving numerous students, with a report that one may be armed. Two students were detained outside of the school, including a 14-year-old who was reportedly making threats on social media.

The 14-year-old was booked at the juvenile detention center on a misdemeanor charge of using electronic communication to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass, Tucson police said.

The Tucson Police Department says it monitors social media for threats to schools and collaborates with school staff year-round to maintain safety.

The latest string of arrests comes after Tucson police arrested a 13-year-old boy on Sept. 16 in connection with a social media threat that targeted multiple schools in the area.

In an unrelated incident on Sept. 14, an 11-year-old was arrested, accused of making threats online against an elementary school.

A 15-year-old is also facing a misdemeanor charge in relation to a threat at a west-side high school.