Kyle Hendrickson, the 25-year-old suspect accused of threatening to shoot up Portsmouth High School, has been apprehended by authorities in Portland, Maine, according to Portsmouth Police Chief Mark Newport.
His current address is unknown and police believe he is the only person involved with the incident, Newport said. The chief said Hendrickson did not attend Portsmouth High School. All city schools were closed Thursday after Portsmouth police received a tip about the threatening video around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Hendrickson was identified by Portsmouth police Thursday as the suspect who allegedly posted a video in social media of himself with a gun seated in a vehicle outside Portsmouth High School. He said, “Imma gonna shoot up the school,” in the video, according to police.
Newport said Hendrickson was taken into custody by Portland police around 2 p.m. Thursday. He is being charged with criminal threatening with a firearm, a Class B felony, and is being held by Portland police as a fugitive from justice.
Hendrickson was located at a residence in Portland and taken into custody by Portland police. Assisting police in Portland were the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Authorities tracked his location using social media posts, Newport said.
“Through our investigation, we tracked down associates of his through social media and were able to pinpoint him to the area of Portland,” he said.
Portsmouth schools to reopen Friday
All Portsmouth schools will reopen for classes on Friday, according to the chief.
“The impact of closing schools today was not taken lightly, but this allowed the police department to focus on the investigation to identify and locate the suspect,” Portsmouth police announced in a news release. “We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience as we worked to keep the school community safe.”
“We have been in continuous communication with the Portsmouth school administration, and we are both in agreement that the school community is safe to return back to school in Portsmouth tomorrow,” police stated. “The school will be sending out a communication soon and preparing to welcome students and staff back to school.”
According to city police, Hendrickson is “known to frequent the Seacoast area and southern Maine.”
The incident in Portsmouth came just over two weeks after a deadly school shooting in Nashville that claimed the lives of six people, including three 9-year-old students. In that massacre at the Covenant School, the shooter was killed by police minutes after making entry to the building.
“Fortunately we were able to get ahead of this one, be proactive and investigate this threat to the point where we canceled schools as a cautionary measure to ensure that our schools are safe,” Newport said.
FBI, DEA and local law enforcement have been working with Portsmouth police in the case, the chief said.
How school officials reacted to threat
The city closed all schools on Thursday due to the online shooting threat, according to an alert from the school district sent out Wednesday evening.
Zach McLaughlin, superintendent of schools for SAU 52 (Portsmouth schools), notified district families of the decision late Wednesday night, informing the school community about the threat to “shoot up” the high school.
“As we are not currently in a position to feel that the threat is yet resolved, we need to make a decision regarding tomorrow’s school day,” McLaughlin wrote. “Out of an abundance of caution and a commitment to the safety of our school community, all Portsmouth schools will be closed tomorrow, April 13th. As the situation develops, I will be sure to provide you with updates as I am able.”
McLaughlin’s message to the district community was sent out shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Finally, I just want to acknowledge the emotions of a moment like this,” McLaughlin added in his note. “It can be laced with fear, anger, and sadness. Amid this challenging time, we appreciate your support as we do our best to keep our students and staff safe.”
When reached for comment Wednesday night, McLaughlin could not disclose the details of the video, including who it appeared to be made by, what social media platform it was posted on and whether there was a direct threat made against any person in particular, due to the ongoing investigation.
The superintendent stated he hopes the investigation doesn’t impact classes occurring in Portsmouth on Friday.
“I have a lot of faith in the Portsmouth community to weather something like this,” he said. “It’s a shame we’ve got to do it but we are a community strong enough to persevere through this and be really thoughtful for kids and families and staff.”
In December, the Portsmouth and Dover school districts were two of several across the state to be the target of hoax school shooting calls, prompting lockdowns and police responses in public school systems around New Hampshire. The month prior, a minimum of 10 Maine schools, including Sanford High School, received similar unsubstantiated threats. Such false reports are referred to as swatting.
The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management stated Thursday morning that it was aware of the threat.
“All threats are taken seriously until such time as their validity is determined,” the department wrote in its release. “Everyone is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement agency.”