(UPDATE) Abbot Parker, a Big Sky High School student who's charged with felony intimidation after allegedly making a threat of violence, says he was inspired by the Sandy Hook school shooter.
On Friday, February 25, 2022, the Missoula Police Department received information about a credible threat of school violence that was made on Instagram and had been intercepted by the FBI.
Police contacted the Big Sky High School principal making them aware of the threats. MPD then made contact with Parker, 18 years old, who was at school.
Parker granted police permission to search his backpack and vehicle without a warrant. The officer found two notebooks and a crumpled piece of paper that referenced the recent arrest of four people on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting.
In the online conversations, Parker used the handle "adamsrottenflesh." A person in a conversation with Parker asked if he is inspired by mass shooters in which Parker replied, "Yeah, mainly Adam Lanza." Lanza was the person who shot and killed 28 people on December 14, 2012, in Newton, Connecticut.
Court documents report Parker appeared to have an obsession with Lanza, purchasing the same shoes as Lanza and bragged about it saying "copped the same shoes as Adam." Police say Parker was wearing those shoes when MPD made contact with him at school that day.
Parker's online comments discussed how he has access to his father's firearm, but his father didn't know. In a post with another user on February 22, Parker said he related to Lanza due to social anxiety and isolation.
During the interview process with Missoula Police Detective Guy Baker, Parker admitted he had taken and then posted the photo of himself brandishing the previously mentioned firearm on his Instagram account.
Parker admitted that during the time he wrote those statements and possessed the firearm, he was having homicidal and suicidal intentions. However, Parker denied that he had taken the firearm outside his residence or pointed it to anyone. When Detective Baker asked Parker if he ever planned or intended to kill anyone, Parker denied it.
Parker is at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula for evaluation. The state is requesting the court issue a warrant in the amount of $250,000 to ensure community safety and provide adequate time to develop a comprehensive release plan that will address the mental health issues at play.
(1st REPORT) A Big Sky High School student has been detained following what law enforcement says was a “critical incident” at the school on Friday, February 25, 2022.
Missoula Police Department spokeswoman Lydia Arnold says the student was detained at Big Sky High School by the on-site School Resource Officer on Friday.
Arnold says the SRO had “received information regarding a credible threat of school violence made on social media."
Arnold says that the student “reported having homicidal ideations and access to weapons to carry out his ideations of violence towards a school.”
The student was located and detained, with Arnold noting that “the swift actions by law enforcement and school administration ensured the safety of the students, teachers, and staff.”
The student — who is said to be over 18 years old — is being charged with felony intimidation; the name of the student has not yet been released.
Arnold says there is no risk to the public, nor is there any information that indicates anyone else was involved in the threat.
"Missoula County Public Schools will continue to work with law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues," a letter sent to Big Sky High school parents and students states.
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The following letter was sent out to parents and students on Monday afternoon:
Dear Big Sky High School families:
On Friday, February 25, a School Resource Officer alerted the administrative team at Big Sky High School to the existence of some concerning information around potential school violence which identified a student at Big Sky High School as the source of the concern.
The school team and our partners in law enforcement acted immediately to coordinate a response and confirm there was no immediate threat to Big Sky or other schools. The student was taken into police custody without incident, and Missoula County Public Schools will continue to work with law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues.
According to the City of Missoula Police Department, the student is being charged with felony intimidation.
“The swift actions by law enforcement and school administration ensured the safety of the students, teachers, and staff,” Missoula police said in a statement released this afternoon. “At this time there is no risk to the public or any information indicating anyone else was involved.”
MCPS wishes to thank local officers and law enforcement agencies for their diligence and prompt action in coordinating with our school administrative team. We appreciate their efforts in ensuring the continued safety of our school community.
We also want to take this opportunity to remind students, families and staff that MCPS treats all reports of any potential threats of school violence with the utmost seriousness, and that regardless of the level of a threat, we will proceed with an abundance of caution to prioritize school safety as we investigate a report. We encourage our school communities to report any threats or activities that may be unsafe to a trusted adult at any of our schools.
Thank you,
Missoula County Public Schools
