Shepard High School Student Charged Over Facebook Death Threats Against Classmate

A Shepard High School student was taken into custody last Thursday at school after Facebook posts attributed to him threatening another student were discovered, school officials say. 

Thomas Braasch, 19, of Worth, was charged with disorderly conduct, transmitting or causing a threat of destruction of a school building or school, or a threat of violence, death, or bodily harm directed  against persons at a school. The charge is a class four felony.  

The threats were discovered after they were posted to Facebook the day before. They are alleged to say that Braasch threatened to kill a 16-year-old classmate at school with a gun, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. 

Bail was set at $150,000 and Braasch remains in jail, according to Cook County Sheriff's Office records. He is expected to appear in court on Oct. 29. 

He has also been charged with retail theft, accused of taking a cell phone from Costco. 

Shepard High School and District 218 shared the following statement and information about the incident with Patch: 

“We would like to thank our parents for their help in this serious matter.  Parents saw this threat on-line and immediately notified us late Wednesday afternoon. 

To provide the safest possible school environment, we need everyone – students, staff, parents and community members – to play their part.  In this case, some quick-thinking parents helped us intervene.

On Thursday morning, Shepard staff members met the buses as they arrived at school and escorted both students to the Dean’s office.  There was never a gun, just the threat of harm.

Shepard staff contacted the parents of both students, took statements from the students, and contacted authorities.  Both students were placed in police custody.

There was no interruption to the school day.  Shepard staff currently are reviewing school records of both students and will continue to work with their parents."

Braasch, who is accused of making the deadly Facebook threat, was the only person charged in the incident.

A guilty verdict on the charge can carry a prison sentence of one to three years.

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