Butler County DA says he'll pursue criminal charges over recent school threats

BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) -- Butler County's district attorney says he will pursue criminal charges against the person responsible for recent threats against schools in the area.

Last week, several districts in Butler County were impacted by threats.

In a letter sent to the Moniteau Area School District, District Attorney Richard Goldinger said he's advising the department that has jurisdiction over the the threats to file charges against the person responsible as soon as possible.

Goldinger says that once charges are filed, his officer will look to have the person arrested.

If the person is under 18, they'll be held in a juvenile detention facility. If over 18, Goldinger says his office will request 'a substantial bond,' even if they are still a student.

Addressing how threats are shared on social media

While Goldinger commended the intentions of students who shared the social media threats last week in efforts to make others aware, he said that sharing them only caused them to spread more.

He asked that in the future, people who see threats should not share them, but notify parents, teachers, school leaders, the police, or call Safe2Say.

Goldinger says he'll be sharing the letter with police departments in Butler County and with the Juvenile Probation department, asking that the district share the letter with families so that they're aware that threats 'will not be tolerated any longer.'