A Colorado high school student was suspended for one day last month after an anonymous tipster alerted police to a “threatening” video posted to the social media site Snapchat.
The video, uploaded by 16-year-old junior Nathan Myers, depicts several handguns sitting on a table along with an AR-15 that cannot be seen in a case. The text “Finna be lit” is superimposed on the video and means, basically, “I’m about to have a good time.”
“While we were at her [Nathan’s mother’s] house getting ready to go, I took a video of five or six pistols and an AR-15,” Nathan told Complete Colorado. “None of them were loaded, they were all in their cases.”
The Loveland Police Department received the video via the state’s “Safe2Tell” hotline, a program started in 2004 that allows parents, students, teachers, and administrators to share information about potential threats like suicide, drugs, and bullying.
Their investigation found that Nathan had posted the video before a trip to the gun range with his mother, Justine Myers.
“We had a great day,” Justine said. “This is what we do. Nathan has been shooting many times with us. We are huge Second Amendment supporters.”
After returning from the range, the two immediately met with police to resolve the issue, and law enforcement determined that Nathan wasn’t a threat. The mother and son believed that was the end of the conflict.
“His father told them he was out shooting with me, I am an avid shooter,” Justine said. “So, the officers said he wasn’t in trouble and left.”
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But the school district wasn’t satisfied. The Thompson Valley School District (TVSD) informed Nathan’s father that he would not be allowed to return to school until they had conducted a full investigation.
“I called to ask why I couldn’t go, and they said it was a safety concern because the student who reported it was scared I was going to shoot up the school,” Nathan said, adding that in three years at Loveland High School he had never had a conflict with another student.
The school told Justine that they would need to conduct a “threat assessment hearing” the next day, where she would defend her son in front of a seven-person panel, comprised of school administration, counselors, teachers, and law enforcement, according to Reason.com.
The hearing only lasted about five minutes, and the panel determined that Nathan’s suspension should end. But the junior’s troubles were far from over.
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Along with catching up on missed schoolwork, Nathan has had to deal with antagonism from peers, some of whom call him a “school shooter” and a “terrorist,” according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald.
“It’s kind of hard to know that a bunch of people could be thinking that about you,” Nathan said.
Justine understands why the police had to respond to the tip line, but she believes the school dropped the ball.
“I 100% understand and agree with what they had to do. And as a parent I’m grateful,” she said. “But it should have been over and done with Tuesday night.”
The children have now been indoctrinated to believe that the mere sight of a gun is distressing.
Maybe people in this country should be a little less concerned about Chinese censorship and a lot more concerned about American censorship.
While I am incensed over the reaction of the school, I can’t help but question the wisdom of the victim, David, in posting to social media in that manner.
Think about it.
Maybe I am just showing my “maturity”( read as old age :)) but I have been and will always be a critic of all forms of “social media” and in particular of posting things that are best kept to a limited to circle.
This type of thing illustrates the danger of Red Flag laws. Many of the gun controller types are completely hysterical when the word “gun” is involved. I predict that Red Flag laws will be a disaster for lawful and peaceful gun owners and will have minimal effect on the crazies.
Time to sue the shit out of the school district, administration, &school board. Not only for defamation, but also for the harrassment he is receiving from the other students. The “scared students “parents probably saw the post, and being the “citified dipshits” that they must be, freaked out! The left needs to get there heads out of their asses. God help us.
This is why social media is pure garbage. Good for the young man for going out and shooting and having fun and getting the practice in. Anti-American liberals will use social media to twist and contort anything to fit their constitution bashing and anti-American agenda
How stupid! The young man was happy to be able to go to the gun range. I’M happy when I get to go to the gun range. He threatened no one nor did he say or imply any threats.
Shameful, guilty before YOU must prove YOURSELF innocent. And the comments from peers and fellow students – disgusting. Dimocqrats are always ready to criticize someone else. Perhaps they should look in the mirror and analyze what they see. Oh….self critique isn’t allowed….only criticism of others.
So now it’s conceivable the kid could be “red flagged” sometime in the future.
And that is why I don’t share my life on social media.
Same here man will never post anything on social media. Too dangerous hat it could get construed into something else and then they take away you liberty and rights
Find an attorney that will bring a case against the school. Win or lose at least you can make them realize this is not “ok”
Poor kid will have to get used to it. Libs are always busy controlling other peoples lives.
We need a civil war now
U R the dumbest idiot on the board.
My friend, we’re in one.
It’ll be the same for all gun owners if they ever get the red flag laws passed in all the states!
Why don’t they post the ame of the person who called and said it was a threat?
The ignorance is unreal, kids that do not won’t to go to school say a classmate is a threat and that’s all that has to be claimed, if they would start prosecuting the ones making false claims then a lot of this stupidity would stop.
And nothing will happen. The gross overreactions will continue. The zero tolerance mentality will continue to pervade. The 2nd will continue to be a 2nd class right, subject to usurpation based on a tip.
This can’t go on, we can’t function like this as a people.
Don’t worry. At some point in the near future, none of us will have any rights left to exercise. Every action will either require a license or permit, or will be banned outright. Then everyone will be on a level playing field and everything will be OK.
Don’t worry, be happy.