KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Blue Springs man who was charged in connection with a general threat of mass murder earlier this week on Snapchat, which forced several area school districts to cancel activities, made his first appearance Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court.
The 19-year-old man is charged with one count of making a terrorist threat.
He allegedly posted on Snapchat that “I’m gonna start killing people mass murdering.” No specific threat was made to any individuals or locations, including schools.
Judge Twila Rigby set a bond review hearing for the suspect for 1 p.m. June 23 during Thursday’s initial appearance.
The FBI, which assisted Blue Springs police after an anonymous person alerted police to the Snapchat post, confirmed the man was potentially dangerous and schools chose to exercise caution, according to a release from the Blue Springs School District that announced the school closures.
Seven school districts — Blue Springs, Fort Osage, Grain Valley, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Oak Grove and Odessa — canceled summer school and all activities at district schools, including daycare, on Wednesday out of an abundance of caution.
St. Michael the Archangel in Lee’s Summit, KC International Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, and Timothy Lutheran School Ministries in Blue Springs also closed Wednesday.
Schools resumed normal summer activities Wednesday night or Thursday after police confirmed the suspect had been arrested.
Last weekend, a man threatened to blow up Worlds of Fun, and Calvary Lutheran in Kansas City, Missouri, received an unrelated bomb threat on Wednesday.
Editor's note: KSHB 41 News chose to name the suspect in Wednesday’s reporting but will refrain from naming him in future reports. Additionally, we will not be using his mug shot in accordance with the KSHB 41 Mug Shot Policy.
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