Quick Facts:
- Shooting threats at Franklin Pierce High. Two teens charged.
- Student told police threatening tweet was meant as a joke.
- Students told parents, who called police.
- No injuries or damage reported.
Students at Franklin Pierce High School say having two classmates make threats to kill people at first seemed like just a joke. But it was also frightening.
"I didn't want to come to school today," said Kuper Whelan. "Because I heard about what's going on at Marysville and all that, so I didn't want to mess around."
One of the students, 16-year-old Tavian Burns, was charged with tweeting a threat that left several students worried. "Attention, attention," the tweet read. "It's going to be me that's shooting up the school tomorrow so be prepared and goodnight."
Another 16-year-old was heard telling a fellow student he planned to kill three administrators at the school including the principal. He was arrested when his classmates went to school officials and told them about the threat.
"I thought it was a joke at first but it not something you should joke around with," said Franklin Pierce student Jose Talavera.
Both students appeared in Pierce County juvenile court Tuesday charged with felony harassment. Both claimed the threats were just jokes, according to probable cause documents.
Parents of the two boys asked for their releases from juvenile detention. "He's never been in any trouble," said the mother of one of the boys. A judge ordered them held pending trial.
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