Pittsburgh Bureau of Police recognized by Uvalde Foundation For Kids for thwarting potential attack against Pittsburgh school
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - We saw firsthand last week how good police work can prevent a school shooting tragedy.
Now, Pittsburgh police are being recognized.
A national foundation formed after the Uvalde school shooting is recognizing the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
Swift teamwork by Pittsburgh police and other agencies led to the recovery of high-caliber weapons. And the community that understands that danger firsthand is commending Pittsburgh.
Sunday morning, the Uvalde Foundation for Kids announced they will honor the Pittsburgh police department with a national award for dedication to student and youth safety.
The Texas nonprofit was formed after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The foundation is honoring Pittsburgh police for their response in stopping a school shooting at Pittsburgh University Preparatory School.
Members of the Pittsburgh community nominated the Pittsburgh police department for this award.
In their announcement, the foundation said it is honoring the department and lead detectives for their efforts in protecting the school community. On Nov. 20, police responded to a report of a young man with a gun on campus, the school was placed on lockdown and the suspect was not found.
According to a criminal complaint, teachers became aware of social media posts where a young man posted a photo and videos of a handgun and an assault rifle, allegedly making threats to University Prep.
With the help of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, police traced the social media post to an individual living on Rose Street in the Hill District.
They arrested a 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old Jackiel Young for their alleged involvement.
Last week, Chief Larry Scirotto recognized those who took action when necessary.
"I'd like to highlight the efforts of the teachers who took note of this at University Prep; this is what we talk about when we say, 'See something, say something.' You don't know how innocuous these threats could be. In reality, we take these threats very seriously and will investigate them to the fullest."
Police recovered three handguns and an AK-47 from the 17-year-old, who was a former student, and were able to locate the social media post on his computer.
Chief Scirotto believed the threat to the school was credible and took action to stop harm in the community.
"It's a testament to the great work our law enforcement partners have done in thwarting what was obvious to me and to us a direct threat to the students of University Prep, and through that, we were able to mitigate serious harm and damage in our community," Chief Scirotto added.
The event on Nov. 20 is the second school shooting threat stopped by the Pittsburgh police this year.