Julian Edelman's school shooting alert to authorities led to a 14-year-old boy's arrest and possibly the diversion of another massacre.
The New England Patriots receiver was visiting a friend in Texas when he was made aware of a chilling comment posted under a photo he had shared to Instagram in which a user said, "I'm going to shoot my school up watch the news," according to CNN.
"Dude, there is a kid in your comment section says he is going to shoot up a school, I think you should alert the authority," an Instagram user reportedly told Edelman in a private message.
The Instagram user also brought attention to the threat in a post under Edelman's photo, stating that "there is a kid saying he's going to shoot up a school, can everybody alert the authorities please????"
Upon receiving the message, Edelman said he immediately thought about the Parkland mass shooting and asked his Boston assistant to locate the comment and alert police.
"With the emotions of what happened, and I have a kid now, I said, holy Toledo, what is going on?" Edelman said, according to The New York Times.
Boston Police detectives traced the commenter's IP address to Port Huron, Michigan, where the 14-year-old suspect confessed to posting the comment, which law enforcements believe was aimed at his nearby middle school.
At the house, police also recovered two rifles belonging to the suspect's mother.
The boy was charged with making a false report of a threat of terrorism and taken to a juvenile-detention center.
In a statement obtained by People magazine, Edelman's reps applauded the Instagram user who brought attention to the threat.
"This individual's thoughtfulness and awareness may have helped avert another tragedy," Edelman's reps said. "Julian is very grateful for the quick action of law enforcement authorities in Massachusetts and Michigan, and he thanks all law enforcement for their efforts in helping all of us become more aware and vigilant."
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