Horizon Middle student arrested, accused of making school shooting threats on Instagram

A Horizon Middle School student was arrested Thursday after being accused of making a school shooting threat on social media, officials said.

Horizon City Police Department officers received information about 3:30 a.m. Thursday about a school shooting threat made to Horizon Middle School by a student on the social media platform Instagram, police officials said.

The alleged threatening messages were forwarded to fellow students. The messages were brought to a parent’s attention, who then contacted law enforcement, officials said.

Horizon City police officers contacted the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers from Horizon Middle School and Desert Hills Elementary, as well as Clint Independent School District officials, to "place schools in proper safety protocol for the threat while officers investigated the incident," officials said.

More: School threats are no joke: El Paso law enforcement officials warn of serious consequences

Officers arrested the student, whose age has not been released, at his home. He was taken to the El Paso County Juvenile Detention Facility.

The juvenile is facing criminal charges in connection with the threat, officials said.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Horizon Middle student arrested, accused of school shooting threats