Arrests over threats to central Arkansas schools grow to 6

Few details released; youths’ ages cited

Sherwood Police Sgt. Tyler Grant (from left), Pulaski County Special School District Executive Director of Communications Jessica Duff and FBI Public Affairs Officer Connor Hagan answer questions Thursday at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood about threats that prompted the closure of the campus.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)
Sherwood Police Sgt. Tyler Grant (from left), Pulaski County Special School District Executive Director of Communications Jessica Duff and FBI Public Affairs Officer Connor Hagan answer questions Thursday at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood about threats that prompted the closure of the campus. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)

Two more minors were arrested over the weekend in the investigation into online threats that forced Sylvan Hills High School campuses in Sherwood to close last week, according to the FBI in Little Rock.

The announcement Tuesday means that a total of six youths have been arrested in the past week over threatening statements against the schools posted online.

None of the individuals have been identified, owing to their status as minors.

Representatives for the school district and the FBI in Little Rock have declined to say whether the arrested individuals are students at the schools that closed.

A spokeswoman for the Pulaski County Special School District confirmed in an email Tuesday that the two minors arrested over the weekend are from Arkansas.

The district opted to close the Sylvan Hills High School main campus Wednesday and Thursday last week. Additionally, the Sylvan Hills North campus, or freshman academy, was closed Thursday.

An FBI spokesman in Little Rock, Connor Hagan, said over the weekend that the agency is governed by stringent Department of Justice policies on publicizing juvenile arrests.

However, he underscored the seriousness of making threats against schools. "We are still urging kids, do not post hoax threats," Hagan said in an interview Sunday. "Don't do it, because we're arresting kids left and right."

It is still unclear what charges the arrested individuals may face.

On Sunday, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that although he understands the public interest in the case, "we're very, very restricted on saying anything at all -- not names, not charges, not anything."

He said he didn't know when authorities may be able to release more information on the suspects. An email from Jegley's office Tuesday said prosecutors have not received the investigative file on the case from Sherwood police.

Threats against Little Rock Central High and eStem High School also coincided with the Sylvan Hills threats last week. However, those schools remained open.

Metro on 02/19/2020

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