Affidavit: Carthage student created Instagram account with school shooting threat after getting in trouble for using cell phone in class

The Instagram threat of a school shooter that had police officers swarming over Carthage High School February 23 originated from within the school and was created on the same cell phone the student had already been in trouble for using earlier that day, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Jasper County Circuit Court.

A high school student received an Instagram friend request at 9:35 a.m. from "schlshooter2018," according to the affidavit.

After approving the request, the student saw a post featuring a picture of the Carthage Senior High School class schedule with the caption "Going to shoot up chs Monday."

That student was not the only one receiving the Instagram friend requests. The student saw others following the account. The student reported it to school administrators and the police department was called.

The Instagram account was created at 8:51 February 23 with the creator logging in to it at 9:20 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.

An investigation including officers from the Carthage Police Department, Jasper County Sheriff's Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol was quickly able to determine that only one classroom in the school had a schedule with the distinctive smear that was included in the Instagram photo.

One of the students interviewed had chatted with schlshooter2018 and believed he knew his identity.

Officers interviewed a student referred to as "M. E." at the Jasper County Juvenile Office with his mother present, according to the affidavit. "He got in trouble and (was) written up three times and warned several other times the morning of 2/23/18 for using his cell phone during school. This was also during the time in which the Instagram account was created and used."

A consent search of his phone found a photo of the same class schedule that had been used in the creation of the Instagram account.

When the student's mother was told the phone was going to be seized as evidence she withdrew her search consent, requiring the police to apply for a search warrant.

The 15-year-old was arrested for terroristic threats, a Class D Felony. The case was referred to the Jasper County Juvenile Office.

According to a Carthage Police Department report, it does not appear the student had taken any steps to follow through on his threats.