Tracy teenager arrested after allegedly threatening school shooting on social media

Tracy police arrested a 16-year-old Thursday after he allegedly threatened to commit a school shooting on social media.  

Tracy’s Police Communications Center received a tip at 3:22 a.m. May 26 about a threatened school shooting. The tip and information related to the case was shared with the FBI, “who reported a social media post, in which there was a clear threat of harm and a picture of a specific school,” the Tracy Police Department said.  

The department’s investigation lead officers to a west Tracy home. Officers contacted the 16-year-old and his parents; the teenager reportedly admitted to making the threat but had no plans to carry it out. 

“Let us be perfectly clear, making criminal threats to harm others has no place in a civilized society. We will not tolerate it in our community and will use the full weight of the justice system to bring those responsible to justice,” the Tracy Police Department said. “The loss of life is not a joking matter.” 

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The teenager led officers to a realistic-looking BB gun, “of which his parents were unaware,” police said. A search revealed no firearms or other items of contraband. He is not a student in the Tracy Unified School District, but at the end of the on-site investigation he was arrested by the school resource officers assigned to Tracy Unified.  

The Tracy Police Department provided additional patrols because of this event and heightened concerns about school safety. This threat comes in the wake of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead on May 24. 

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“We will continue to be vigilant in addressing any threats of community violence, regardless of intent,” Tracy Police said.  

The teenager remains in custody and the case continues to be an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Tracy Police through Officer Steve Flores at Steve.Flores@tracypd.com.

Record reporter Laura Diaz covers social justice and societal issues. She can be reached at ldiaz@recordnet.com or on Twitter @laurasdiaz_. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.