A Covington teenager was arrested by deputies from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office this past Sunday on charges of terrorizing, following threats made on social media. The 15-year-old boy is alleged to have posted messages on Instagram about his plan to bring a firearm to school to shoot a student purportedly spreading rumors about him, WDSU reports.

In a statement gleaned from WWLTV, Sheriff Randy Smith said, "We have made it very clear that threats like this will be taken seriously." The sheriff's office conducted a thorough investigation, which confirmed that the teen did not have a gun nor access to one.

The boy reportedly confessed to the authorities about making the statements and, upon searching his residence, no firearms were found. After the confirmation, that there were no firearms at the boy's home, he was released to a parent on a custodial agreement and is scheduled to appear in court, per FOX8LIVE.

Reaffirming the gravity of the situation, Sheriff Smith was quoted by WWLTV, "Parents, please talk to your children and explain to them the seriousness of making statements like this, even if they have no intentions on following through with them." The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office has shown intent to persist in their collaboration with schools to address and investigate any potential threats targeting students or faculty.