A 21-year-old Pennsylvania man was arrested Friday on accusations he threatened to shoot up Parma High School last year.
Russell D. Miley-Cruz, of Scranton, faces federal charges of transmission of an interstate threat and obstruction of justice. Authorities say he posted the following message on Snapchat on Apr. 11, 2018: "Don’t go to Parma High School tomorrow friend, we are about to shoot that s--t up alright man? Don’t tell cops and you will be fine."
Police took extra precautions as a result of the threat, and U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said "hundreds" of students missed classes as a result.
"This case is another reminder that making threats, online or in person, is always a bad idea," Herdman said in a statement.
Officials add Miley-Cruz provided them with a false phone number and denied using a specific email address and Snapchat username.
Parma Police Chief Joseph Bobak said:
"This individual caused fear and panic in our community by targeting and threatening school children. These threats affected students and staff at Parma High School for several days as frightened parents pulled their kids out of school. Parma Police detectives, working alongside special agents from the FBI, diligently pursued all available leads on this case culminating in today's arrest. I would like to thank the FBI for working together with our department to identify and arrest this individual. Without their assistance and resources, this outcome might not have been possible."
