SAN ANTONIO – A 12-year-old boy addressed District Court 436 Judge William Shaw on Wednesday for his first court hearing since being arrested over the weekend.
His name and face will not be revealed because he is a minor.
The boy was arrested on Sunday, and he’s accused of threatening seven schools online.
The post, which circulated around the internet, included a picture of a high-caliber firearm and the names of seven San Antonio-area schools, along with future dates in September.
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San Antonio police and the Texas Rangers tracked the 12-year-old down and arrested him, officials said.
During the hearing, a decision was made about whether or not the boy would be released on probation before his next hearing.
“I feel he’s not a danger to myself or anyone,” the boy’s mother said to Judge Shaw. “The first altercation, he was joking with another student. I did reprimand him and told him not to joke in any manner with any friends. I haven’t had any other issues.”
The defense attorney laid out the situation behind the messages, also describing where the pictures of the guns came from.
“There was bullying; there were incidences where they pushed him downstairs. It was very clear, the pictures that were shown, it was an Amazon cart, and in that Amazon cart, it says at the bottom in all caps, JOKE,” he said.
However, the state and the probation department said continued detention was necessary, given the child’s history.
“There have been some similar incidents to the allegations before the court, judge. Last school year, he was caught on campus with a bulletproof vest. And in April of 2023, he was sent to his alternative campus for a threat made against a school,” said a member of the probation department.
“When the search warrant was executed, two tactical vests were found in the home. He sent multiple pictures of firearms to the person he told he was going to shoot up the school,” said the state prosecutor.
The boy’s mother claimed her son doesn’t have access to any firearms and is “a military fanatic.” He wants to join the military, as to why he likes the camouflage all the tactical stuff.”
“This is serious,” said Judge Shaw. “Joke or not, there are different ways to handle this. If you’re having bullies at school, you talk to mom, you talk to school, talk to somebody, but this is not the way to handle this.”
Shaw then ordered the boy to remain detained. He said the next detention hearing will be on Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m.