2 teen girls charged for Piqua HS threats in style of ‘Pretty Little Liars’

PIQUA — Two teenage girls face charges for threats that led to an early dismissal Thursday and the closure Friday of Piqua High School.

The threats were made in the style of the TV show “Pretty Little Liars,” Piqua Police Chief Bruce Jamison said in a statement released Friday night.

A 15-year-old student created a Snapchat account with a username that included the letter “A” like a character on the show. A 14-year-old student who had seen the social media posts wrote a threat on a girl’s bathroom wall, “I’m still gonna shoot the school  A.” There is no evidence of collaboration between the two students, who are facing charges in Miami County Juvenile Court, Jamison said.

>> Piqua High School closes amid Snapchat threat rumors

The police investigation found that Snapchat posts threatened to expose classmates’ secrets. The posts were widely seen across the school. False rumors about the “A” snaps circulated Wednesday that indicated there was a threat to shoot up the school; however, no threats of violence were posted, the chief said.

Parents were notified but there was no disruption to classes. Jamison said officers were assigned to Piqua High school Thursday in anticipation of increased anxiety. The district superintendent and administrators also were at the high school.

A non-threatening message was left on a mirror in a girl’s restroom Thursday, but Jamison said it had no apparent links to Snapchat. This incident remains under investigation and police are not releasing the message’s content.

A second message on Thursday was the first and only threat of violence. It was found on a girl’s restroom wall, and about the same time two students reported “the shooting” would happen around noon, the chief said.

Piqua High School was placed on lockdown in the afternoon as the school prepared for early dismissal and parents were notified.

School was canceled for Friday because rumors and anxiety likely would spread while police conducted its investigation, Jamison said.

• A 15-year-old girl responsible for creating the "A" Snapchat account will be charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
• A 14-year-old girl responsible for writing the bathroom wall threat from "A" to shoot the school is charged with felony inducing panic.

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