An Islip teen was arrested Friday after allegedly using Twitter to post a threat to blow up Kings Park High School, Suffolk County police said.
Steven Taggert, 16, of 88 Herbert St., was arrested after detectives received a complaint from Kings Park High School officials, who reported that an individual posted a threatening message on Twitter. Cops said Taggert “indicated he had obtained a bomb to blow up the ‘Kingdome,’ a reference to the Kings Park High School gymnasium.”
Authorities noted that school district officials had been aware that students were using Twitter to post comments regarding an ongoing rivalry between Kings Park High School and Islip High School.
Kings Park school officials took extra precautions after the threat, which included limiting access to a boys’ basketball game scheduled for Friday night. “There was no safety risk for students at the high school today,” Kings Park Superintendent Susan Agruso said in a letter to parents.
“As an extra precaution, students are not permitted to attend the boys’ basketball game today. There will be a police presence at the high school this afternoon and evening, and additional security measures are being taken to ensure the school remains safe,” Agruso said.
Taggert turned to Twitter on Friday and posted an apology to his 278 followers. “I've let my school and family down [and] I feel like a total dumb ass. Once again I'm sorry,” he wrote.
Taggert was charged with second-degree falsely reporting an incident. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday.
Examiner.com will continue to follow this developing story and post updates as more information becomes available.
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