FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- A Harris County judge ruled Monday that two juveniles should remain in custody for threatening to unleash gunfire at Clear Brook High School in Friendswood.
"After a brief hearing today, the two minors were detained as we had requested," Assistant District Attorney Martina Longoria said. "This will allow more time to evaluate the evidence and the recommendations of the mental-health professionals while keeping the community safe and free from threats of violence."
Under state law, it is a crime to threaten to use a firearm on school property or on a bus being used to take students to or from a school-sponsored event.
The two were arrested Thursday on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting tragedy.
Both students are boys. One is a freshman, and the other a sophomore at the high school. Police say they don't appear to know each other, and the separate social media posts are not believed to have been coordinated. The identity of a juvenile charged with a crime is confidential.
Images and messages, which appear to be threatening the school were posted on their Snapchat accounts, according to police.
School administrators were alerted to the messages by other students.
According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the 9th grader warned other students not to come to class because he was going to "shoot up the school" in a video, in which he is shown holding a gun and pointing it at the camera.
The image posted by the 10th grader was a photo, which appears to show the grip of a gun and two students in the background at the school.
A caption read that he was doing it to honor "The heroes of Columbine."
The school district views the posts as terroristic threats. The charges being sought against the students are felonies.
"In this area and the school district, we take these things very seriously. The students are being charged with crimes. Their lives change today," Clear Creek ISD spokesperson Elaina Polsen said. "Whatever course the criminal investigation takes, we want parents to know that the students will never return to Clear Brook High School."