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Instagram helped Goodyear police identify shooter threat at prep academy

A Goodyear student who reportedly did not want to attend school allegedly anonymously told peers not to show up because someone planned to shoot up the Trivium Prep Academy, according to records …

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First Responders

Instagram helped Goodyear police identify shooter threat at prep academy

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A Goodyear student who reportedly did not want to attend school allegedly anonymously told peers on Instagram not to show up to school Sept. 21 because someone planned to shoot up the campus, according to records obtained from Goodyear police.

According to a Goodyear Police incident report, the student told peers not to attend Trivium Prep Academy.

“Bro do not go to school today there is a guy who is saying that he is bringing a gun and he’s going to shoot up the school,” she allegedly wrote, according to the report. “I am not joking and he isn’t joking either I’m messaging everyone I know that goes to the school this.”

Students who received this message showed them to a Trivium school resource officer, which allowed Goodyear Police to act on the tip.

Goodyear detectives were able to execute a search warrant with Instagram to obtain the service provider and customer information. When initially questioned, the 10th-grade student said she received the same message but later conceded she sent the mass messages to Trivium students.

According to the report, the student sent the message from an alternate account that had no identifiable information or followers.

According to the records response, she claimed to have sent the message to 30 students from that account.

Word reportedly spread to most students at the private elementary and high schools under Trivium’s management. As a result of the spread, 500 Trivium Archway elementary students were absent. Likewise, Trivium Prep (6-12 grade) had 400 students absent. According to the report, each campus has approximately 900 students.

During questioning, the student told Goodyear detectives she did not have access to guns and did not plan to execute any shooting. Her grandparents, whom she named her legal guardians, later confirmed to detectives the household did have a firearm in their residence. The grandparents, however, did not believe she knew how to access it.

The unnamed student was booked into Durango Juvenile facility for making false terrorist threats and disrupting an educational system.

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