School threat tied to 12-year-old

A 12-year-old girl was arrested Wednesday morning in connection with communicating a school shooting threat on a social media platform.

The threat, said Terrebonne Parish Chief Detective Malcolm Wolfe, was sent through an Instagram account. The precise wording or other details about the threat were not immediately released.

Detectives said there was no evidence that the girl had a firearm or access to firearm. 

The child will face a charge of terrorizing, Wolfe said.

According to Terrebonne Parish Schools Superintendent Philip Martin, the threat referred to both Houma Junior High and Terrebonne High School. Investigations were launched by both TPSO and the Houma Police Department. Law enforcement officials confirmed Martin’s information. 

Parents had expressed concern on local social media platforms about the safety of their children as word of the threats spread, prior to apprehension of the suspect. The schools were open Wednesday morning and extra security measures were in place.

Both schools are on the same long block that runs between West Main Street and Tunnel Boulevard along St. Charles Street in Houma, but they are in different jurisdictions for law enforcement purposes. Houma Junior High is under the jurisdiction of TPSO and Terrebonne High, the city police.

The Instagram private message, viewed by The Times, names individual students who were threatened. The messages began at 10:21 a.m. and continued through 1:36 p.m. The messages began with “I’m comming shoot up y’all school hjh”. In the afternoon the threatened individual replied, “Who are you??” The immediate response came naming multiple individuals who would be shot first when she came shoot up the school.  

In an unrelated case, a Thibodaux High student was arrested Sunday for statements he allegedly made about bringing a gun to school.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said Cameron Boudreaux, 17, was charged with cyberstalking.

Through investigation, deputies learned several students, boys and girls, had been receiving messages from Boudreaux over social media. Deputies learned that Boudreaux allegedly threatened to kill some of the students during the course of the messaging. He also stated he would bring a gun to school to kill them.

In Sept. of 2016 Boudreaux was identified by complainants as the perpetrator of a vandalism incident at St. Peter Baptist Church in Thibodaux. Autos parked outside the church were damaged by scratches. Boudreaux was taken into custody and arrangements were made for restitution to the victims.

According to one of the victims interviewed earlier this week all the people who made claims were reimbursed by Boudreaux or his family.

TPSO