The ATF says the arrest may have stopped a potential school shooting.
WASHINGTON — A minor was arrested on Wednesday after authorities reportedly found alarming social media posts.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), agents and officers with the Metro Transit Police Department found online posts allegedly referencing a potential threat to a DC Public school. However, the exact language of those posts or the details of the threats have not been released.
On Wednesday, the ATF and MTPD served a search warrant at a home in connection to the online posts. During the search, the ATF claims investigators found multiple firearms.
The minor, who has not been identified, was arrested, but the ATF did not say what charges the juvenile could be facing.
WUSA9 reached out to DC Public Schools and was told that the school district was unaware of the arrest.
“We’re not currently tracking that any DC Public Schools students have been apprehended in relation to this incident,” a DCPS spokesperson said. “We’d refer you to Metro Transit Police.”
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the ATF announced the arrest, saying it “interrupted what could’ve possibly led to a school shooting incident,” with the hashtag Make DC Safe Again.
MTPD also took to X on Thursday, posting to say how proud the agency is of the officers involved in the arrest.
“As part of our participation in a longstanding ATF task force, we’re proud of our officers who disrupted this significant public safety threat,” MTPD said on X. “We are focused on keeping our Metro system and community safe across the region.”