The student accused of making threats on Facebook is set to appear in court on Jan. 24.
Christian Bump, 17, Waupaca, is charged with making terrorist threats. He was released from custody on a $1,000 signature bond.
Shortly after 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, Waupaca Police Officer Samuel Van Dinter was advised that Crime Stoppers received a tip that a student threatened to shoot up Waupaca schools.
The Waupaca Police Department immediately placed all four Waupaca schools on a lockout, which requires all students to remain in the schools and prohibits all outsiders from entering the schools, other than law enforcement.
Waupaca police and Waupaca County deputies responded to all schools within the Waupaca School District.
Deputy Bryan Strobusch logged into Crime Stoppers and learned that Bump was the WHS student who was suspected of posting the comment.
Officers Van Dinter and Bret Rodenz went to Bump’s classroom and asked him to come to the front office.
While walking to the office, Van Dinter told Bump that they had received a tip about someone wanting to shoot up a Waupaca school and his name was associated with the comment.
According to the criminal complaint, Bump initially said he did not know how his name came up and that he had not threatened to shoot up the school.
Bump later told the officers that he had made a joke about shooting up the school on a Facebook chat group for students involved in the school play, the complaint says.
Van Dinter then contacted another student involved in the school play and asked for her help in accessing the chat group posts.
Bump’s alleged messages say, “I will shoot up the school and I’m not kidding.” and “All of you come to school on Monday.”
On Saturday, Jan. 14, a message was sent to all school-play participants, reminding them to have their lines memorized for rehearsal on Monday.
Bump reportedly told police that a student sent a chat saying that it would be funny if they memorised lines from the “Bee Movie.” Other students began making bee puns. Bump said he asked them to stop and when they did not, he jokingly texted that he was going to shoot up the school, according to the criminal complaint.