08/30/2026
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SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS DIRECTED AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS UNDER INVESTIGATION
The St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Centreville-Constantine Police Department are advising the public that threatening statements made through social media are not harmless jokes and may constitute criminal offenses under Michigan law.
On August 28, 2026, at approximately 7:00 a.m., the Centreville-Constantine Police Department received information concerning online threats directed toward students at Constantine High School. The threatening content was posted on TikTok and other social media platforms by an account using variations of the username “catinthehat.”
The posts identified multiple students by first name, stated that those students were “next,” and included additional statements and imagery suggesting violence or harm. Due to the specific nature of the statements and the identification of individual students, police, with the assistance of the Michigan State Police Marshall Post and Federal Bureau of Investigation, immediately began investigating and coordinated appropriate safety measures with Constantine Public Schools.
Since the initial report, law enforcement has become aware of additional “copycat” accounts posting similar threatening content in other school districts. Those accounts are also being investigated.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office wants to be very clear: creating, sharing, reposting, or participating in threatening social media content can have serious legal consequences for juveniles as well as adults.
Michigan law specifically prohibits certain forms of cyberbullying, including posting statements on the internet that are intended to place another person in fear of bodily harm or death and that express an intent to commit violence. Depending upon the circumstances, threatening online conduct may also constitute cyberstalking or other criminal offenses.
A statement made from behind a screen, under a fictitious username, or as a supposed “joke” does not make the conduct harmless or necessarily shield the person responsible from criminal liability. Creating a copycat account or joining an existing online threat may also result in criminal consequences.
Threats involving schools are taken seriously by law enforcement. They frighten students and families, disrupt education, consume substantial police and school resources, and can result in significant criminal consequences for the person responsible.
If you are thinking about creating a threatening post because you believe it will be funny, get attention, or add to an existing social media trend—do not do it.
Law enforcement will investigate these threats. When sufficient admissible evidence establishes that a criminal offense has been committed and identifies the person responsible, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will review the matter for appropriate criminal charges, regardless of whether the person responsible is a juvenile or an adult.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to speak with their children about the seriousness of threatening statements made online and to remind them that social media activity can have consequences far beyond the screen. Families are also encouraged to discuss online safety and consider limiting personally identifying information that is publicly available through their social-media accounts.
Anyone with information concerning the original account, subsequent copycat accounts, or the identity of any person involved is encouraged to contact St. Joseph County Central Dispatch at 269-467-4195.
Individuals who encounter additional threatening posts should preserve the content, including screenshots, usernames, dates, times, and links, and immediately report it to law enforcement rather than engaging with or further circulating the material.
This investigation remains ongoing. No charging decision has been made, and all individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
