Yakima WA teen arrested over school gun threat

A 14-year-old student at Yakima's West Valley Junior High School has been arrested after police say he made an online threat that he was going to shoot others at school this week.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that police arrested the teenager Thursday for investigation of felony harassment and seized nine firearms from his parents' house.

Court papers allege that the boy wrote to another student on MySpace's Instant Messenger service Wednesday night, saying he wanted to shoot people at school.

Copies of the online exchange were provided to school Principal Jim Berndt the following day. In a letter Berndt wrote to parents on the school's Web site, he said the decision was made to have the student "emergency expelled."

Police seized five shotguns, three rifles and a pistol from the boy's home. Police say the boy's grandmother told them she owned the guns, most of which were described as old and rusty.

Yakima police questioned other students but have made no other arrests.

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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com