Boy, 13, arrested over social media threat against Bloomington school

A 13-year-old boy was arrested Thursday after a social media posting "implying violence" against Valley View Middle School in Bloomington, police said.

School officials were immediately notified and precautions were taken to keep students safe, police said in a news release. The boy was arrested and is being held in the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police said it appears the case is related to the social media trend involving images or videos of clowns intending to threaten or scare people. Police said that people who post threatening images, videos or messages "should recognize there could be criminal consequences for those actions."

The department said, "The Bloomington Police Department takes this behavior very seriously and will continue to investigate this kind of criminal conduct."

Pat Pheifer