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Teen arrested for contacting local ‘clown’ to kill one of her teachers

Posted at 12:59 PM, Oct 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-03 14:59:59-04

HAMPTON, Va. - Police in Virginia have arrested a 13-year-old girl in connection with a social media threat involving a 'clown'.

The investigation revealed that the girl made contact with someone via social media, and asked the person to murder one of her teachers at Davis Middle School, according to News 3.

The person she contacted was using a clown photo as a profile picture as well as an alias.

The 13-year-old girl from Hampton was arrested and charged with one count of Threatening to Kill by Electronic Message. She remains in custody.

Hampton Police detectives made contact with the victim to ensure her safety and make her aware of the situation.

At this time, there is no evidence to indicate a threat against any others.

There will be increased police presence Monday at Davis Middle School and Hampton Police officers are working with school security to ensure student safety.

The following statement was sent to Davis Middle School parents Monday:

Dear Davis Middle School Parents/Guardians:

This is Ms. Whiteman, principal of Davis Middle School. In an effort to share accurate information, I would like to provide you with the following facts. Last night, a Davis Middle School student was arrested for making a threat on social media against one of our teachers. No one has been harmed, and the student is in a secured detention facility. At this time, there is no evidence to indicate a threat against others.

Please know that we have taken measures to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff. As a precaution, there will be increased officer presence throughout the day at our school.

Thank you for your support in creating a safe environment for our students, staff and visitors.

This incident comes just two days after schools in Hampton and Newport News tightened security due to threats from social media accounts of people posing as clowns.

Hampton Police say are taking each of these threats seriously, though there has been no information received that any of these threats are credible.

The Hampton Police Division is collaborating with Hampton City Schools, the Newport News Police Division, and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate each of these threats and social media pages.