Boy removed from Atwater High arrested after threatening on Snapchat to 'return' with a gun, cops say

A 15-year-old student in Atwater was arrested Thursday for posting a threatening video on social media, according to police.

An Atwater Valley Community School student told a school resource officer around 10 a.m. about a video on Snapchat that showed the 15-year-old boy holding a gun and saying he would be "returning to Atwater High."

The boy had been recently moved to the Valley High campus after making a similar threat at Atwater High, according to police. In an interview with police, the boy admitted to making the post on Snapchat but said he didn't think it was threatening and that the pistol was a BB gun, according to police.

The boy's name was not released.

The student was arrested on suspicion of distributing a harassing message via an electronic device, according to police, and booked into Merced County Juvenile Detention Center. Police also recommended another charge of threatening a school campus.

This story was originally published April 19, 2018 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Boy removed from Atwater High arrested after threatening on Snapchat to 'return' with a gun, cops say."