Teen charged over online threat to North Lakes school

A TEENAGER has been charged after allegedly posting a copycat threat about a school shooting in Brisbane on social media. It comes as two other teens have been charged after allegedly making threats to another southeast school.

Police are on site at a school at North Lakes. Picture: File

• Building searched for bomb

A TEENAGER has been charged after allegedly posting a copycat threat about a school shooting in Brisbane on social media.

Police said the threat, warning of a mass shooting at a school in the Moreton Bay suburb of North Lakes, was posted on a social media platform on Monday evening.

It’s alleged the threat used similar wording to a post published on online bulletin board 4chan over the weekend, which warned students in the North Lakes area to stay home and made reference to the recent shooting that killed 17 people at a school in Parkland, Florida.

The teen was arrested and charged by police on Tuesday with one count each of using a carriage service to make a threat to cause serious harm and threatening violence.

He will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Stream said these were serious criminal charges with significant penalties.

“The Queensland Police Service will continue to assess any threats to public safety and I would urge anyone with information to contact police,” Acting Chief Superintendent Stream said.

Police outside The Lakes College in North Lakes on Tuesday. Picture: Alan Quinney

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the charges were not connected to threats made to AB Paterson College at Arundel on the Gold Coast and the Lakes College at North Lakes.

“They are completely separate things,” the spokesman said.

The Courier-Mail revealed on Monday that a post over the weekend on an online bulletin board called 4chan had put the Department of Education on alert.

Police would not confirm if this was the same online forum allegedly used by the teenager this week but have confirmed that the two instances are separate.

“This alleged incident does not relate to the initial online non-specific threats posted on the weekend, or a threat at a North Lakes school yesterday afternoon, with police investigations continuing into these incidents,” police said today.

“Parents are advised that all schools remain open and children can attend safely, with police conducting regular patrols of the North Lakes catchment.”

Police also today confirmed two teenage boys have been charged following an alleged threat made to a school at Arundel yesterday.

One boy has been charged with one count of use carriage service to make a threat, harass or cause offence.

The second boy has been charged with threatening violence.

The Lakes College north of Brisbane was also forced into lock down on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat.

The threat was received by the school by email about 4pm and immediately the school enacted its lockdown procedure.

“Most of our students had left the school (for the day),” principal Simon Armstrong said.

“It was an afternoon staff meeting so the people on campus were predominantly staff.”

The school would operate as normal on Wednesday, he said.

Students involved in extra curriculum were also caught up in the lock down.

Mr Armstrong said everyone was very calm throughout the process.

Parents, students and staff returned to gather their things about 6.30pm, following a search from Police.

A police vehicle outside the entrance to The Lakes College.

Brisbane Regional duty officer Inspector Jeff Coote said Police were investigating the nature of the email.

He said there was no information to suggest the threats were connected to threatening posts found on an internet site, singling our schools in the North Lakes area.

“It’s very early into investigations … this will be an evolving process to ascertain exactly how this came to be,” Insp Coote said.

“We’re here to look after the students, and he teachers and the greater school community and we’ll act accordingly.

“Can I say, there’s no credible threat to any schools in the area, but we will act accordingly because we want the students and teachers to feel safe.”

Police were called to The Lakes College, North Lakes, about 4pm.

Mr Armstrong said the school was operating as normal on Wednesday.

“The communication I’ve sent to the parents over the last couple of days is that their child’s safety is paramount to the college and any decisions we make we certainly take that into account.

“It’s also a parent’s prerogative to keep their child at home if they wish to, but I’ll be encouraging our parents to send their children here to the college (on Wednesday).”