Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The two teenage boys that made threats on social media resulting in the closure of Tafuna High School last week Wednesday, have been released to the supervision of their parents.

A copy of the status report, "Active Threat Tafuan High School," obtained by Samoa News, dated Dec. 6, 2023, states:

"On Wednesday, December 06th, 2023 at about 0100 hours, Emergency Operation Center (Herein after EOC) was contacted via email by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Herein after FBI) Agent Alyson BERRY.”

According to the report provide by Agent Berry, a 15-year old posted to the social media site Instagram a photo of what appears to be a “minigun” with a caption stating, “I’m shooting down the  school tmr, everyone finna die, this is not a joke.”

The 15-year-old is a male student who attends Tafuna High School.

At approximately 0118 hours of the same morning, EOC watch officers conducted a “call down” and also forwarded the information to numerous ASG departments including the Departments of Public Safety, Education, Attorney General’s Office as well as teaching staff at Tafuna High School.

LOCATING SUBJECT:

At approximately 0530 hours members of the Department of Homeland Security OTICIDE division gained information that the student resided in the village of Aoloa’u. Having knowledge that Detectives of DPS resided in the same village, members of OTICIDE went to said residence to gain further information as to the whereabouts of suspect.

OTICIDE members were informed that Detectives of the Criminal Investigative Unit had taken him into custody at approximately 0500 hours. At this time members of OTIDE went to the Tafuna Substation to confirm that the suspect was in custody. This was confirmed by physical viewing of him at the substation.

OTICIDE as well as members DPS also contacted Tafuna High School and asked them to enact their safety plans which resulted in them closing the school for the day.

INTERVIEW:

At or around 0730 hours of the same morning parents of the suspect and another male student arrived at the Tafuna Substation. The second THS student was identified as another 15-year-old male.  Detectives from DPS interviewed the students in the presence of their parents/ guardians and the students’ made statements regarding the post in question.

The pair stated that the picture was from a string of messages sent between the two over Instagram.

One, explained that the photo of the “minigun” used for the post was a “stock” photo obtained from the internet and that no such weapon exists. After a verbal counseling to both the students as well as their parents the two students were released into the custody of their parents pending further investigation.

CURRENT SITUATION:

Currently, multiple departments are working together to assess the legality of the situation in reference to the Code Annotated of American Samoa. If appropriate charges can be found affidavits will be forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for prosecutorial determination," the report stated.