Moss Bluff, Starks students charged after threats

Published 5:00 am Friday, December 17, 2021

Two Calcasieu Parish students were arrested and charged with terrorizing this week.

In two unrelated incidents, a 13-year-old Moss Bluff Middle School student was arrested and booked on Wednesday and a 14-year-old Starks High School student was arrested and booked after an investigation that began late Wednesday night.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified Wednesday morning of a student threatening Moss Bluff Middle School during the course of the morning, Gary “Stitch” Guillory, CPSO Chief Deputy said.

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The student was called into the school office and searched.

The search uncovered “paraphernalia, some drugs, (and) controlled dangerous substance and a vaping device,” Guillory said. The student was arrested, booked into the Juvenile Detention Center and charged with terrorizing, possession of controlled dangerous substance II and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Late Wednesday night CPSO was notified of a possible threat on social media directed toward Starks High School. A 14-year-old student posted that “he wanted to shoot up the school” if he had gun, Guillory said.

The student subsequently posted a picture of his gun “basically (saying), ‘I have a gun,’” Guillory said.

The student was arrested, booked into the Juvenile Detention Center and charged with terrorizing.

Guillory said the department becomes aware of social media threat via community reports and their own monitoring. “We actually monitor. That’s what these kids have got to understand,” he said.

“It’s kind of sad because at some point these kids are going to realize how serious this is.”

Contrary to cases of news stories regarding school shootings where threats or disturbing behaviors weren’t investigated, CPSO is committed to following-up on any possible threat to the public, Guillory said.

“I can tell you if we see something on social media that comes to our attention, no matter what time, day or night, we go look into it. We have a zero tolerance.”

Holly Holland, CPSB spokeswoman, said the district likewise takes any and all threats seriously. “If information is obtained regarding potentially threatening behavior towards a specific school or schools, parents and guardians are notified if the situation allows,” she said.

While all issues have been addressed and there is no current safety concern at any CPSB school, Holland urged parents to talk with their children about the importance of reporting potentially threatening behavior to an adult in lieu of spreading it on social media.