Doncaster school 'terror threat' suspect arrested on murder charge

A teenager whose threatening social media posts led to an investigation over a feared terror threat to a Doncaster school has been arrested as a murder suspect.
McAuley School, DoncasterMcAuley School, Doncaster
McAuley School, Doncaster

The 17-year-old has been arrested in the American state of Florida in connection with an incident where three people were stabbed in a house at Palm Beach Gardens, nearly two years after he was a suspect in an incident which led to parents keeping their children away from lessions because of safety fears at McAuley School, in Cantley.

The American teenager, Corey Johnson, was arrested on Monday on charges of murder and attempted murder after the death of a 13-year-old, Jovanni Sierra. Elaine Simon, aged 43, and her son 13-year-old were also allegedly stabbed.

Corey Johnson
Picture:  Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach PostCorey Johnson
Picture:  Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach Post
Corey Johnson Picture: Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach Post
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A police report in the US has revealed that the FBI told police in the Florida town of Jupiter that officers in England had investigated the same 17-year-old in connection to several threats made on Instagram to McAuley School in Cantley.

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The incident at McAuley School happened in October 2016. Police were put on duty at the school following the threats.

The Palm Beach Post, in Florida, reported that American police spoke with the teen —who denied any affiliation with ISIS — and told him “to cease all social media activities related to ISIS and any other terrorist organization” and have no further contact with McAuley School, the borough's Catholic church school.

Corey Johnson
Picture:  Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach PostCorey Johnson
Picture:  Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach Post
Corey Johnson Picture: Palm Beach Gardens police/Palm Beach Post

The report, based on police documents, does not say what the threats were, but US authorities said they “were so severe in nature that up to 100 students were removed from the school fearing some kind of attack.”

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It said the FBI were looking at charges over previous incidents, such as that in Doncaster, as recently as this month.

In a statement, the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, which cover Doncaster, said today: "In October 2016 South Yorkshire Police and Counter Terrorism Policing North East conducted an investigation into unauthorised and malicious posts made on a social media account.

"The circumstances of these posts were fully investigated and identified the posts as having originated from America.

"The full details of this investigation were passed to the US authorities for further progression and consideration of prosecution."