While few would argue that the mass shooting epidemic in the U.S. has gotten out of control, it turns out the problem may be worse than most people know. Since the El Paso and Dayton tragedies occurred earlier this month, at least 27 people have been arrested for threatening to commit mass shootings, authorities say.
While it’s unclear how many of the suspects would have actually gone through with their threats, law enforcement officials say it doesn’t matter; they’d rather lock up someone who cries wolf than see innocent people gunned down. “After the mass violence we’ve seen in Florida and across the country, law enforcement officers have a responsibility to investigate and charge those who choose to make these types of threatening statements,” a rep for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida says.
Alarmingly, the list of arrests made this month includes several juveniles who are 15 or younger. In one case, a 15-year-old Fresno girl was taken into custody after she posted a photo of a gun case filled with rifles. Alongside it, she wrote, “Don’t come to school tomorrow.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/us/mass-shooting-threats-tuesday/index.html
