BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A social media threat made against a Bellingham school has led to a child facing serious consequences.

Police Lt. Claudia Murphy says that they were contacted by Whatcom Middle School officials on Monday afternoon after students reported seeing the threat on TikTok.

The post featured an AI-generated image of a gun on the school’s campus.

Officers located a 12-year-old student who admitted to creating the TikTok post and the fake image.

The student was referred to juvenile court and could face a felony harassment charge for making the threat.

Bellingham Public Schools issued the following statement in light of the incident:

“Anyone who has a concern about safety in our schools or knows something about a possible threat to safety can contact any staff person at any school or utilize this tipline, which is posted at the top of every page on the district and school websites.”