Aug. 6 (UPI) -- FBI officials in Philadelphia said Wednesday that as the new school year starts "serious consequences" await students who make violent threats whether a hoax in person or online.
"The FBI takes every threat seriously -- regardless of intent," Wayne A. Jacobs, the bureau's Philadelphia special agent in charge, said in a statement.
Officials issued its reminder to Pennsylvania students and others throughout the nation that a joke -- even if spoken, written, posted or shared on social media -- is "a serious criminal offense" that can result in "lasting consequences."
According to the FBI, law enforcement is required to act once a threat is reported and deems every violent threat credible until proven otherwise.
Related
