The person accused of threatening Portsmouth High School in a social media post last week made his initial court appearance Tuesday.
Kyle Hendrickson, 25, was arrested last week on charges of interstate threatening after allegedly recording a Snapchat video in his parked car outside of the school. In screenshots filed with the court, Hendrickson allegedly brandishes a pistol while another passenger is visible in the vehicle. The words “imma shoot up the school” were overlaid on the video, which was shared with at least ten other people, according to court paperwork.
Hendrickson told authorities the video was a joke and that he had visited the school along with his mother and a friend to pick up a set of car keys. He said he had a relative who attended the school, and said he would never do “that”, an apparent reference to threatening a school shooting.
During a brief hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea Johnstone ordered Hendrickson remain in custody, with a bail hearing set for Friday.
Portsmouth canceled classes last Thursday following the alleged threat, which was flagged by Snapchat and shared with the FBI.
Hendrickson, who’s from Maine, was located by police in Portland April 13, a day after making the video. He told authorities he had gotten rid of the gun in the video, which was later located near a motel in Freeport, Maine, where Hendrickson and his girlfriend had stayed the night before.
Hendrickson also disclosed to police that he had a shotgun and AR-15 rifle in his vehicle. A search also found several boxes of ammunition, a red dot sight to help with targeting, and camouflaged body armor. A shotgun was also recovered from his girlfriend’s home. He told authorities the guns were obtained through a private sale.
If found guilty on interstate threatening, he faces up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
