SOUTH BRUNSWICK – A man has been charged with making threats through a social media post about South Brunswick High School.
South Brunswick police were alerted at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 5 about a post on Twitter in which a person threatened to do harm to the school on Oct. 9. Detective Brady Shelcusky worked with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to identify the Twitter account and the person who sent the direct message. At 6 p.m. Oct. 6, detectives went to a Monmouth Junction home and located a 24-year-old suspect, according to information provided by the department on Oct. 6.
The investigation determined that the man allegedly sent a direct message to a friend warning of problems at the high school this Friday, according to the statement. The message caused alarm by the person who received it, and was shared with several other people before police were called.
Detectives believe the man intended the message as a joke when he sent the message and did not realize how widely it was circulated.
The man was charged with creating false public alarm and terroristic threats. He was processed and released pending his first court appearance.
Police Chief Hayducka explained the speed of social media can raise alarms and fears in seconds and it was through the round-the-clock effort that uncovered the person responsible.
“It took only seconds for the tweet to set off alarms with so many people who saw it. Detectives realized the serious nature and worked around the clock with the assistance of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to track down the person responsible. We were able to alleviate a lot of fears by solving this case in under 24 hours. This is excellent police work,” Hayducka said in the statement.
