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Shooting threats lead to arrest, suspension of Greeley high school student

James Redmond
jredmond@greeleytribune.com

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GREELEY — Greeley police arrested a 16-year-old University High School student who earlier this month threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot his classmates.

Police took the boy into custody on suspicion of interfering with an educational institution, a misdemeanor, on May 9 and released him to his parents later that day, said Greeley Police Department spokesman Sgt. Joe Tymkowych Tuesday afternoon.

Officials suspended the boy, and he won’t return to the school this year, University Schools Director Sherry Gerner said in a phone interview Tuesday.



The student’s threats came to light May 9 when his classmates saw them on social media and reported them to school administrators, Tymkowych said. School officials contacted police immediately and began an investigation in cooperation with Greeley police.

On Thursday, Gerner sent an email to parents of University students detailing the student’s suspension.

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“We’re doing on our end what we need to do to make sure our students are as safe as they can be and making sure the (student who made the threats) is getting the help he needs to be successful,” said University Schools Security Director Ed Clark.

University officials finished their internal work and turned the investigation over to the Greeley Police Department, he said.

“We believe it’s a police matter now,” Gerner said. “They’re taking care of it.”

Tymkowych said Greeley police finished their investigation and passed along the results to the district attorney to determine if any charges should be brought against the boy.

This marks the third unrelated threat to a Weld County high school in the past week. Last week, threats caused the closure of Roosevelt High School in Johnstown in the wake of incident involving a Donald Trump piñata and the suspension of a Spanish teacher. Also last week, Windsor High School officials sent an email to families after a “potentially threatening message” was posted on social media.


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