A 14-year-old who was told Thursday he may be held back in seventh grade for another year at Carpinteria Middle School allegedly reacted by threatening a school counselor. According to Sgt. Erik Raney of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, the student told the counselor that if he were held back, he would “kill everyone.”
School administrators called the Sheriff’s Department, who, during its investigation, found the statements to be made in a threatening manner and arrested the juvenile. No weapons were found at the teen’s home, and he was booked into Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall for making threats with the intent to terrorize.
“The sheriff’s department and the schools take threats of any kind seriously,” Raney said in a statement. “With the increased awareness of school violence, students, parents and school staff should be aware that law enforcement responds to threatening statements seriously. Parents and teachers should also be keenly aware of any signs that may indicate a problem with a student.”