Kyle Hendrickson, Threats and Firearms, New Hampshire 2023

Kyle Hendrickson, a 25-year-old man from Maine, has pleaded guilty to making online threats against Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. The threats were made on April 12, 2023, when Hendrickson posted a video to his Snapchat account that included a text overlay reading 'imma shoot up the school.'

School surveillance footage placed Hendrickson's vehicle outside the high school at the time the video was made. Law enforcement later recovered an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, camouflage body armor, a handgun holster, a red-dot sight, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Hendrickson's vehicle. The handgun used in the Snapchat video was also recovered near a motel in Maine where Hendrickson had stayed on the night of April 12, 2023.

Hendrickson was arrested on April 13, 2023, and a grand jury returned a two-count indictment against him on September 13, 2023. He pleaded guilty to one count of interstate threatening communications and one count of possessing a firearm in a school zone. Each charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced the guilty plea. Hendrickson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15, 2024. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, and the Portsmouth Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Somersworth Police Department, the Portland (Maine) Police Department, and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case. The case highlights the importance of law enforcement's swift action in response to online threats and the serious consequences that come with making such threats.

Hendrickson's guilty plea brings an end to the case, but it serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting our schools and communities from threats. The New Hampshire community can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the individual responsible for the threats has been held accountable.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/maine-man-pleads-guilty-threatening-portsmouth-high-school