FBI Tip Leads to Wappinger Student’s Home; Criminal Charges Filed

The FBI has informed the Wappingers Central School District that a student is now facing criminal charges.

School safety is something on everyone's mind. As of the end of September, there have already been 50 school shootings in 2024. According to CNN, 37 of the shootings have occurred in elementary grades through high school, while the other 13 happened on college campuses.

While there isn't a statistic for school violence threats, that number is likely in the thousands. In the Hudson Valley, there have been numerous incidents of threats against students and staff that authorities have investigated in just the past month.

Wappingers Falls Student Facing Criminal Charges

On Tuesday morning, the Wappingers Central School District alerted parents of a threat that had been made on social media. After the FBI received a tip, an investigation was launched that led to the home of an individual who lives in the district.

According to the authorities, the non-specific threat was quickly connected to the resident and law enforcement deemed it non-credible. Nevertheless, the suspect is facing criminal charges for sending or reposting the threat.

Wappingers Seeks to Teach Valuable Lesson to Students

In a letter to parents, the Wappingers Central School District urged parents to talk to their children about saying something when they see a threat on social media. The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Dwight Bonk, stressed the importance of teaching children to report threats and not repost them. He explained that students who repost random threats they see on social may confuse others and cause panic.