TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A student was arrested at Tortolita Middle School Tuesday for threats and intimidation.
According to a message sent by the school to parents, a student shared a message via social media that referenced "gum" and included a weapon. The message was a TikTok screenshot shared to the student's social media account.
The student was arrested on suspicion of threats and intimidation and was removed from campus.
The message was deemed to be a joke, the school said.
The Marana Unified School District school is located at 4101 W. Hardy Road.
Here is the full message:
Hello Tortolita families,
Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. In an effort to be transparent, we are making you aware of a situation that occurred today and has since been resolved involving one of our students.
This morning, a parent notified the Tortolita administration about an inappropriate message that was shared over the weekend by one of our students in a Snapchat conversation. The image referenced “gum” in the photo, and also included a weapon. The image that was shared was not original, rather, it was taken as a screenshot from TikTok and shared to the student’s personal social media account.
As a result of the concerning message, our administrators immediately notified our School Resource Officer, who made contact with the student. After the investigation was completed, the student was arrested for threats and intimidation and removed from campus. He will also be receiving appropriate disciplinary action per the MUSD Comprehensive Discipline Policy.
While it was determined that the message was “a joke,” this type of communication is inappropriate and will not be tolerated by our school or local authorities. We take any reports of potential threats seriously, and we make every effort to maintain an environment where students and staff feel safe. We are appreciative that a concerned parent notified us, and we acknowledge our SRO who acted promptly, helping us manage the situation quickly and maintain a safe campus.
We continue to encourage our students and the school community to report any perceived threats to school safety. Anyone with reports of any concern can contact administrators or also call/text our anonymous SpeakUp Safety tip line at 520-518-4181, or via email. As always, we work closely with our local law enforcement partners to assist us during any potentially threatening or urgent situations.
Please do not hesitate to contact school administration if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support of TMS!
Sincerely,
Tortolita Administration
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Phil Villarreal is the senior real-time editor for KGUN 9. He is also a digital producer and host of "Phil on Film" seen weekly on Good Morning Tucson, Phil moved to KGUN after 17 years with the Arizona Daily Star. He is married and has four children. Share your story ideas and important issues with Phil by emailing phil.villarreal@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
