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A 14-year-old Houma Junior High student arrested in connection with an Instagram post perceived as a threat of gun violence told officers he had only meant his statements in jest.
Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said that on Friday morning his detectives received a complaint of a student posting threats on social media of shooting at HJH on the first day of school, scheduled for Aug. 8.
After receiving a complaint from a concerned parent detectives verified that there was a posted threat.
The boy and his mother were located and the teen was interviewed.
Larpenter said he “admitted to posting the comments but said that he did not mean it and was only being funny.”
The teen was arrested on a single count of terrorizing and transported to the Terrebonne juvenile detention center.
The Instagram post, circulated between some students from the junior high school, reads “We having a shootout on the first day.” The teen’s message to a classmate states, in a short exchange that includes a warning for the student receiving them not to go to school on opening day “I’m shooting too, nigga.”
“We were made aware of this and realized it was not a matter for the school,” said Superintendent of Schools Philip Martin. Because the alleged threat was made outside of school, Martin said, administrators were limited in their ability to respond and the Sheriff’s Office was immediately notified.
The child’s name was not released by authorities because he is a juvenile.
Interviews in the central Houma neighborhood with which the child is associated revealed suggestions that the talk of a planned shooting circulated among youngsters acquainted with a 14-year-old HJH student currently being held in connection with the July 10 murder of 17-year-old Roderick Davis.
Recent stories in The Times have indicated a subculture of street violence in the neighborhood, with easy potential for young people to get their hands on firearms without their parents necessarily having knowledge.
Martin said parents should not be overly concerned about the case, and gave his assurance that on the morning of Aug. 8 the grounds and hallways of Houma Junior High would be safe.
Parents who had expressed concerns about the potential for violence at the St. Charles Street school said they were pleased that the Sheriff’s Office took quick action.
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