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Security guard charged in connection with terror threats against his own school
Police were alerted to photos shared on social media platforms showing Thomas Develin threatening a Jewish school.
A security guard at a Jewish day school was arrested and charged with making terrorist threats against the students and parents.
Thomas Develin, 24, worked as a security guard at Columbus Torah Academy, a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school for students from nursery through high school, until his arrest Wednesday.
The arrest came after police were alerted to photos shared to social media platforms showing Develin threatening the school community.
“I’m at a Jewish school and about to make it everyone’s problem,” read the caption of one picture of Develin holding a gun posted to his social media account on March 11. Another photo posted that day was captioned: “The playground is about to turn into a self defense situation,” according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Jewish Columbus, a community organisation that replaced the Columbus Jewish Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Columbus, released a statement crediting law enforcement for responding swiftly to Develin’s posts.
“Securing our community is the top priority at Jewish Columbus and we remain in close contact with our law enforcement partners as the investigation continues,” the organisation said. “We want to express our gratitude to the quick-thinking law enforcement officials at the local, state and national agencies. Their training, planning and professionalism stopped the threat. We believe strongly that those implicated in this threat will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Develin, who previously served in the National Guard, is being held on £1 million bond.
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