News Releases

Detectives Arrest Man for Threats Made Against Kennedy High School in Wheaton

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 27, 2020

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police - 4th District Investigative Section are announcing the arrest of Jason Salinas, age 20, of Takoma Park, Maryland, for making threats of mass violence against students, staff, and teachers at John F. Kennedy High School located at 1901 Randolph Road in Wheaton.

On February 13 at approximately 2:21 p.m., a male subject called the school twice and made threats to shoot people at the school.  Officers responded to the school and detectives initiated an immediate investigation into the threats.  On February 14, another call came into the school threatening mass violence.  Investigators determined that the calls were being made from the same internet phone number.

Though efforts were made by the caller to disguise his phone number by "spoofing" (spoofing provides a fictitious number) the number via phone applications and the internet, the detectives were able to identify the suspect as Salinas.  Salinas was a former student of the high school.  Investigators also determined that Salinas had a warrant for his arrest for two counts of second-degree rape and two counts of a third-degree sexual offense.

On February 26, detectives arrested Salinas in Prince George's County on the strength of the warrant for his arrest for second-degree rape.  During a police interview, Salinas made admissions of guilt to making the threatening phone calls to the school.  Salinas was transported to the Central Processing Unit and was additionally charged with two counts of making a threat of mass violence, two counts of disruption of school operations, and two counts of making a false statement to a state official causing an investigation.

The Montgomery County Department of Police in cooperation with the Montgomery County Public Schools fully investigate any threats of violence to schools.  These threats are a serious matter and those responsible for making these threats, regardless of intent, will be criminally charged.

For information regarding the Montgomery County Department of Police stance on school threats, please click here.

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CTJ

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Release ID: 20-095
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: uncategorized