SOUTh FALLSBURG - On October 19, 2024, Fallsburg Police received a report of a potential threat that was made against the Fallsburg School District on social media.

It was reported to police that a conversation on Snapchat had occurred, in which a picture of the Fallsburg High School auditorium had been sent to a student with the statement "prepare" following the photo. The unknown account had then sent screenshots of a previous Snapchat conversation in which threats against the school had been made, which led to a prior police investigation and arrest.

Fallsburg Detectives and patrol officers began an investigation into the matter and were quickly able to identify the individual who was sending the threatening messages, a 12-year-old student of the Fallsburg High School. The student, who was accompanied by a guardian, was taken into custody at the Fallsburg Police Department and charged with the felony of Making a Terroristic Threat following the investigation.

The student was then released on a juvenile appearance ticket and is set to appear in Sullivan County Family Court at a later date. At this time, Fallsburg Police have determined that the Fallsburg Schools and its students are not at risk of any potential harm. Fallsburg Police Chief Brendan Pavese would like to thank the members of the community for notifying police personnel of this matter so that a swift and thorough investigation could be conducted.

Criminal charges are merely allegations that a defendant has committed violations of the criminal law, and as such they are not evidence of guilt. All defendants have a presumption of innocence and are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the burden of the State of New York to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.