HAMILTON — An 18-year-old western Montana high school student is being held on charges he made numerous threats to “shoot up the school.”
MacLean William Kayser of Darby was charged Tuesday in Ravalli County Justice Court with intimidation and assault with a weapon. Court records say he told investigators he was joking and regretted frightening students. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Witnesses reported Kayser said on Feb. 12 or 13 that he was going to commit a school shooting and that students wearing a red shirt would be spared while those wearing yellow would be targeted. The threats were also reportedly made via social media.
Court records said a Feb. 13 Snapchat post included a picture of his airsoft gun that was captioned “wear a red shirt tomorrow if you want to live.” Another Snapchat post on Feb. 15 referenced the Florida school shooting a day earlier and was captioned “soon coming to Darby.”
Kayser’s 16-year-old brother told investigators he was concerned about the threats and exchanged texts with his brother trying to get him to acknowledge that the threats were jokes, but “every time I asked for an answer he would insult me,” court records said.
School officials reported the threats to law enforcement on Sunday. Kayser was arrested the next day. His bail was set at $50,000, and he remained jailed on Wednesday. He has not entered a plea
The assault charge refers to causing reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury through the use of a weapon or what reasonably appeared to be a weapon.