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Middletown High School students arrested after social media threats appear in court

MIDDLETOWN — UPDATE @ 3 p.m. April 27:

The third Middletown High School student charged with inducing panic appeared this morning in Butler County Juvenile Court.

The 15-year-old was sent back to the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center. The investigation is continuing and a risk assessment was ordered. He will have his pre-trial hearing next month.

UPDATE @ 10 a.m. April 27:

Two of the three Middletown High School students charged with inducing panic, a misdemeanor, appeared Thursday morning in Butler County Juvenile Court. 
After the hearings, a 16-year-old and 15-year-old were ordered back into the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center as the investigation continues and threat assessments are performed, said Rob Clevenger, juvenile court administrator. 

Both teens will have their pre-trial hearings next month.

The other 15-year-old had his case delayed from Thursday until Friday morning because his parents or guardians failed to appear in court, Clevenger said.

UPDATE @ 10:30 a.m. April 26:

Three Middletown High School students were arrested and charged with inducing panic Wednesday night after they allegedly posted a video on Snapchat threatening school violence, said Maj. David Birk from the Middletown Division of Police.

He praised students for alerting school and police officials about the video.

The district’s “See Something, Say Something” slogan is catching on, and stopped this threat before it became “a bigger issue,” Birk said.

After investigating the video, police determined the boys— two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old — were holding BB guns in the Snapchat video, Birk said.

The teens were transported to Butler County Juvenile Detention Center, Birk said.

There is a larger “police presence” at the school today, but classes are being held, according to school officials.

MORE: Warren County boy, 11, accused of threatening to shoot up school

UPDATE @ 10 a.m. April 26:

There will be a larger "police presence" throughout the day, though the threat of violence is over, said Elizabeth Beadle, spokeswoman for Middletown City Schools.

She said classes are being held and it's "business as normal" inside the school.

There were three Middletown cruisers in the high school parking lot this morning.

INITIAL REPORT @ 2:07 a.m. April 26:

There will be extra police presence today at Middletown High School after a threat was made on social media.

Three middle school students have been detained for a video posted to Snapchat that threatened violence against the high school, according to a post on the Middletown City Schools Facebook page.

UPDATE: The Middletown Division of Police arrested the three individuals responsible for the Snapchat video. Following...

Posted by Middletown City Schools on Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Any student absences will be excused, according to the post.

Details of the threatening post on social media have not been made public.

MORE: Police: Facebook post about smoking marijuana mistaken as threat to blow up school