Las Cruces Police investigate 'creepy-clown' threat

Bulletin report

Las Cruces Police are investigating a social media threat made against a local school that appears to be similar to other creepy-clown reports that are plaguing jurisdictions throughout the country.

The local threat, made on a popular social media platform, indicates that students at Lynn Middle School could be in danger. The Las Cruces Police Department and Las Cruces Public Schools have no indication to believe the poorly-worded threat is valid.

Police report it’s quite possible a local child, possibly a pre-teen or teenager, generated the social media account and post simply for the attention it’s generating. The person who posted the social media threat is using a moniker with the word “clown” in it.

Anybody caught making a threat against a school could be charged with a felony count of committing a terroristic act.

The Las Cruces Police Department recommends that parents monitor their children’s social media usage:

• All users of social media should refrain from ‘following’ or ‘friending’ users who post such threats as that could serve to embolden their behavior

• Users should also refrain from commenting on posts that contain threats as that could antagonize the perpetrator or encourage further behavior

• Anyone with information on a perceived valid threat against a school should call 911 immediately