UPDATE – Social Media Threats Directed at Great Falls Public Schools and Community
At approximately 9:30pm, May 26th, the Great Falls Police Department (GFPD) became aware of threatening comments that were posted on the Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS) Facebook site. The comments were alarming, threatening, and a complete disregard to the sensitive nature of threats to schools across the country.
Detectives with the GFPD, including School Resource Officers, the FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals (USMS), alongside staff from the GFPS, worked through the night to determine if the threat was credible and if any precautions would be required during the next school day.
Officers were able to determine, with a great amount of certainty, the subject posting the comments was not in the local area. Even still, unmarked detectives from the police department and GFPS staff focused attention on our schools as students arrived on the morning of May 27th.
Using the information gathered by all involved law enforcement agencies, the Cascade County Attorney’s Office drafted emergency charging information and an arrest warrant. The Honorable Judge Kutzman signed a $1M emergency warrant for the suspect’s arrest, for Felony Intimidation.
John Christopher Neff was taken into custody in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho just after 5pm today, May 27th.
Prior to his arrest, Neff barricaded himself in a residence forcing a SWAT call out. The arrest was in coordination with the FBI, USMS, and the Coeur d’Lane Police Department.
Throughout the day, GFPD detectives worked tirelessly with other law enforcement agencies to make this happen.
The GFPD and the GFPS take threats to our schools and our students seriously. We are aware the suspect in this case continued to post comments throughout the day. These comments were monitored and collected.
As with any investigation, there are details that if made public could jeopardize the integrity of the case. In this case, officers determined there was no ‘immediate’ threat to Great Falls schools, or to our community.
Original source can be found here.
