Teen Charged With Threatening To “Shoot Up” Community College

Saturday, December 14, 2024, 7:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

PARAMUS, NJ.- On Friday, following a week-long investigation by Detectives of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, a 14-year-old juvenile was taken into custody and charged in connection with making threats of violence against Bergen County Community College.

     Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella reported on Friday, December 6, 2024, that members of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office received alarming information about a suspicious post about Bergen County Community College on the popular social media platform TikTok. After obtaining the post, the Sheriff’s Office contacted the Prosecutor’s Office Threat Management Unit, and an investigation was launched.

Threat Made Against Community College

     Detectives of the Threat Management Unit, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, further investigated and discovered that the post and comments included a threat that the person who wrote the post was planning to “Shoot Up” Bergen County Community College on Monday, December 16, 2024.

     As the threat was being accessed, Detectives of the Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit joined the investigation with the Threat Management Unit, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Detectives of the Cyber Crimes were able to trace the source of the threatening post.

Detectives Charge Teen With Making Threat

     On Friday, December 13, 2024, Detectives obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant at the residence of a 14-year-old juvenile in Bergen County, New Jersey, who was the author who generated the threatening TikTok post.

     Accordingly, following the execution of the search warrant, the 14-year-old was taken into custody and charged with juvenile delinquency, second-degree False Public Alarm, and third-degree Terrorist Threats. After being processed on the charges, the teen was released to his parents, pending future court proceedings in Bergen County Superior Court Family Division in Hackensack, New Jersey.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and as in adult cases, a juvenile defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”