A 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Friday morning in Minneapolis after a Snapchat video shared on Thursday showed the boy with a semi-automatic handgun and extended magazine on his lap outside of Edina High School.
According to Edina police, the caption in the video said "come outside, b***h" and that the doors of the high school were captured in at the end of the video.
Police became aware of the threat at around 8 p.m. Thursday. Edina police, along with Minneapolis police, and the FBI worked together to track down the suspect and make the arrest.
Edina Public Schools superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley said she was debriefed about the situation around 10 p.m. Thursday.
"At that time, there was no additional information available as they were working to identify and apprehend the individual," Stanley said. "We schedule a follow-up virtual call at 6:30 a.m. Friday and at that time the arrest had not been made. The district decided to move Edina High School and Valley View Middle School to online learning."
Staff, parents, and guardians were notified and schools were secured. Edina police provided a heavier than normal presence at the high school, middle school, and Creek Valley Elementary School due to its close proximity.
The suspect meanwhile now faces felony charges in Hennepin County, according to Edina Police Chief Todd Milburn.
"There's been this increase in possession of handguns or our youth going to handguns to settle arguments or beefs," Milburn said. "It's very concerning to us and the school district. If kids or other suspects with firearms or handguns, they're going to expect a heavy law enforcement presence. We're going to apply and deploy all resources we have available to us."
Dr. Stanley said Edina schools have school resource officers in-place this school year, adding that there are other security measures in-place at each school including secure vestibules that require someone to either use a badge to enter, or receive a buzz from inside the school.
The suspect, who officials said isn't an Edina student and has never been an Edina student, remains held at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.