Taunton High Student Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Up School, Kill Resource Officers
TAUNTON — A Taunton High School student has been arrested for threatening to kill school resource officers, then return with an AR-15 assault rifle and shoot up the school.
Taunton Police say 18-year-old Kane Jefferson had not attended school since the first day of the school year, after having made threats and racially-charged statements. School resource officers were notified by the administration of Taunton High that Jefferson intended to return to school Monday.
Jefferson came to school carrying a backpack around 10:45 a.m. Monday. Taunton Police say the resource officers met Jefferson at the door, but that Jefferson "had no interest in speaking with our officers and immediately became animated and non-compliant," police said in a release.
"An attempt by our officers to speak with Jefferson was met by him making threats to murder them. Mr. Jefferson was escorted to the security office. It was then that he threatened to disarm them, kill them, then return with an AR-15 and shoot up the school," police said.
The officers attempted to arrest Jefferson, who resisted and was taken to the ground and handcuffed after a brief struggle. No weapons were found on him.
Jefferson was charged with terroristic threatening, disturbing a school assembly, two counts of threats to murder, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was ordered held without bail on Monday and is expected back in court on Friday.