18-year-old arrested for allegedly sending school shooting message days after deadly Florida massacre

A high school student from the US state of Alabama is facing charges for making terroristic threats after she allegedly sent a school shooting message. Emily Nicole Wilson was arrested on Thursday, 22 February.

The 18-year-old had allegedly sent the threat messages to her high school through an app, called TextNow, thinking the institution would shut down for some days after that and she would get extra time to study for a test. The charges she faces is a Class C Felony in Alabama that means if found guilty, she will have to serve a minimum sentence of one year and one day, but not more than two years.

Also, the Vinemont High School senior will have to pay a fine up to $15,000 (£10,738). "It comes down to a poor decision made by a teenager that it was going to be a short-term, get out of class thing," Cullman County Superintendent Shane Barnette told WBRC during a press conference on Friday.

While Sheriff Matt Gentry said the situation is very serious. "When we make the decision to do something to give us time to take a text, well guess what, the end result is you get arrested and you go to jail for making a terroristic threat," he added.

The alleged threat by Wilson comes amid an ongoing crisis in the US, where everyone is coping up with the aftermath of deadly Florida school massacre that killed at least 17 people. The shooting happened on the Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Coral Springs when gunman, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire inside the campus.

Cruz was the former student of the school, who was expelled for disciplinary reasons. He has been charged with 17 counts of planned murder.

Meanwhile, in another incident, an unnamed student was arrested on Thursday after he wrote a threatening Facebook post. The Good Hope Middle School student in Cullman has been taken into custody and authorities are now determining what charge is most appropriate for the minor, The Daily Mail reported.

In the light of these incidences, Barnette has requested all the parents to talk to their children and has also asked them to keep an eye on their social media activities to curb future attacks.