GORHAM — A threat of a mass shooting at Gorham High School posted on Snapchat last weekend proved unfounded in a police investigation that included Gorham, Scarborough and the F.B.I.

A Snapchat posting was first believed to have possibly originated in Gorham but an investigation traced the non-specific threat to a juvenile at a Scarborough address. According to a press release by Gorham Police Sgt. Benjamin Moreland, after police visited a Gorham residence a student that attends Gorham High School posted ” inaccurate information that the threat was to shoot up Gorham High School” and the posting “caused a panic.”

“This has caused significant angst within our community,” Gorham High School Principal said in a message to parents.

The high school opened with calm as usual on Monday but with heightened police presence. “Recent events increased the anxiety of people,” Gorham Police Department Lt. Michael Nault said Monday.

Assistant Gorham Superintendent Christopher Record said the town’s high school received 88 calls and emails. The attendance rate at the school Monday was down two percent from the previous Monday, Record said.

In postings on the Gorham Police Department Facebook page, a woman said police were at her home at 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. “questioning my kids.”

Another mother said her daughter feared to go to school and advised her daughter to use a backpack filled with books as a shield.

“Although there was no actual threat on GHS, we did have both school resource officers and Lt. Nault present,” Record said. “Additionally, our administration made an extra effort to be visible.”

The drama developed when the F.B.I. contacted Gorham police about a “Snapchat” story that threated a mass shooting, according to the press release at 9 p.m. March 25 by Moreland.

Law enforcement, Nault said, first believed that the IP address indicated it could have been located in Gorham. Nault said Gorham Police visited two or three residences.

“During our investigation, we visited a local residence that we quickly determined was not involved in the threat,” Moreland said in the Gorham police press release.

A Scarborough Police Department press release March 26 said, “Quick and thorough investigation led (Gorham police) to find it was generated from an IP address in Scarborough.”

“No specific target or means were named,” Scarborough police said in a press release.

Scarborough police responded to an address shortly after 1 a.m. and met with a juvenile Snapchat account holder and the child’s mother. “The child immediately admitted posting the threat Saturday night at 8:28 p.m. after a disagreement with their mother,” Scarborough police said. “The juvenile had no knowledge of the gravity of the statement or the means to carry it out.”

Police said the threat was posted in a private message to 11 others including juveniles and adults.

Scarborough Police Chief Robbie Moulton said Monday the student, who posted the threat, was a middle-school-aged girl. Moulton said no one is in danger.

Moulton said a juvenile officer was working with the family and a resolution remained unclear Monday.

“The threat was determined to not be credible and no charges will be sought,”  Scarborough police said in the press release.

In Gorham, Nault said the high school student who reposted the threat with misinformation is a male and no charges are pending at this time.

Record thanked Gorham Police Department for its “work overnight.”

“We are very appreciative of how serious the police department takes situations like this,” Record said. “Additionally, I am so pleased with our cooperative relationship.”

Record thanked parents and students.” This is a good reminder, that when we see something or hear something we all have to say something,” Record said.

Gorham High School Principal Brian Jandreau sent this message to parents:

“I have a bit more information that I can share with you all.  The origin of the threat came from a residence outside the town of Gorham.  The FBI contacted the Gorham PD because of the proximity to our town.  The original threat was vague: it stated that there was going to be a shooting but did not name any school or location.  When the Gorham PD responded, another juvenile who lives in Gorham learned of the situation and sent out a Snapchat because he thought the officer was talking about GHS.  The officer was in fact not talking about GHS.

The original threat has been thoroughly investigated and has been determined by law enforcement as not credible. In fact, the investigation has been moved to another community where the threat originated and that agency is handling the case moving forward. 

The best I can tell, this is a bit like the game of telephone where someone in a different community made a threat (not toward GHS), one of our students heard about it and miscommunicated it to make it sound like there was a threat toward GHS when in fact there was not. 

This has caused significant angst within our community, but I feel that the Gorham PD investigated this thoroughly and have complete confidence in their handling of this case.  Based on this information, there is no threat to GHS. 

Should more information become available, I will let you know.  As always, please reach out with any questions.”

Gorham police in December 2012 responded to what also was an unfounded threat of violence at a school posted on a social media site.

Juliette Laaka contributed to this story

Robert Lowell can be reached at 854-2577 or [email protected]