TULSA, Okla. -- After investigating a social media threat towards East Central High School, Tulsa police arrested a 17-year-old student and his 23-year-old cousin.
“That never happened when I was a kid, but it’s happening now more, more and more," retired TPD officer Bart Dean said.
Just a few miles down the road from East Central High School, Dean stands on his front porch and stares at the house across the street.
"I don’t understand why it’s escalating," he said. “I’m sorry that it came into my neighborhood and that kind of bothers me a bunch. Hopefully it won’t escalate into anything worse.”
Dean's neighbor is 23-year-old Tony Vue. He was arrested and charged with threatening a violent act along with his 17-year-old cousin.
“These kids think that it’s funny and a joke to post this stuff on the internet," TPD spokesperson Jeanne MacKenzie said.
Tulsa police say the 17-year-old juvenile had reposted a threat from the previous day on Facebook. He stated, “Y’all that claim to be shooters better pull through 100-percent.”
Vue then commented on the post and said “We are going to war.” He also posted a picture of an AR-15 and a glock.
“That adult knows better. that adult knows what his actions, his words and what his photos knows what they can mean. so yes it is very dangerous," MacKenzie said.
Tulsa police obtained a search warrant for Vue’s home. Officers found an AR-15, a glock and 6 fully loaded magazines.
“That’s a lot for anybody to have," Dean said. "I probably have four loaded magazines, but I have two glocks and that’s because I was a police officer and still use it. That was going to be a problem if that was 6 loaded magazines for the assault rifle for sure.”
Dean is thankful that police possibly prevented a tragedy.
“I have 5-year-old and 3-year-old granddaughters and I want to make sure that they have a safe environment to go to school in," he said.
Vue’s bond is set at $25,000.
