17-year-old arrested in Phoenix for making online threat to Imagine Prep in Surprise

SURPRISE, Ariz. — A 17-year-old juvenile was arrested on Friday in Phoenix for making a violent online threat to a school in the West Valley, according to the Surprise Police Department.

On Jan. 22, the Surprise Police Department was notified of a threatening social media post directed towards Imagine Prep, causing a heavy law enforcement presence on the campus the next day.

Police said detectives worked through the night to identify the individual responsible and locate him at a home in Phoenix.

The juvenile, not a student at Imagine Prep in Surprise, has been charged with making a terroristic threat and interference with or disruption of an educational institution.

Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Surprise Police at (623) 222.4000, or 623.222.TIPS (8477), or email [email protected]. When contacting the police; reference incident number #260101131.

>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. 

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.  

The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:  

• Mesa  

• Chandler  

• Scottsdale  

• Tempe  

• Glendale  

• Surprise  

• Peoria  

• Gilbert  

• El Mirage 

• Avondale 

• Litchfield Park 

• Goodyear 

• Buckeye 

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.  

The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.