US Embassy denies taking QC student into custody over ‘tweet’

As of Friday, April 4, 2014

THE UNITED States Embassy yesterday denied taking a Queen’s College student into custody after she allegedly tweeted that she was responsible for the shooting at Fort Hood’s US Army Base on Wednesday.

Three people died and 16 others were injured after the gunman, who was identified as 34-year-old soldier Ivan Lopez, walked into one of the buildings and began firing a .45-calibre semi-automatic pistol.

According to international reports, Lopez then got into a vehicle and continued firing before entering another building. He was eventually confronted by military police in the parking lot. He reached under his jacket pulled out a gun, put it to is head, and pulled the trigger.

According to sources, the Bahamian teenager tweeted while at her school that she was responsible for or involved in the shooting and the victims deserved to die. The tweets began trending and US citizens began responding to the girl expressing their disgust and disappointment.

The Tribune understands that she has also received several death threats. The girl was pulled out of class after the school was allegedly contacted by US officials. Rumours began to spread that US officials arrested the girl and took her into custody, however, the Embassy, as well as Royal Bahamas Police Force officials, denied that she was ever arrested.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said he was not aware of the incident, but noted that the United States does not have the authority to arrest anyone in the Bahamas. “That cannot happen,” he said. “They do not have the authority to pick up anyone in the Bahamas. I know the Central Detective Unit did not to do it and we have responsibility for cyber incidents.”

The teenage girl was allegedly expelled from the school and had her travel visa revoked. The Tribune attempted to contact the school, but calls were not returned up to press time.

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 7 months ago

Wow, talk about dumb and punishment fitting the crime

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 7 months ago

Apparently she did do it (i.e. post a stupid comment). And she was expelled. Punishment. She won't do that again. Good lesson

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 7 months ago

She did what she was punished for.

Sindy_low 9 years, 7 months ago

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ThisIsOurs 10 years, 7 months ago

You're right, anyone has the right to say whatever they want to say. But screaming fire in a burning building hardly seems the responsible thing to do.

More than likely she was expelled for having a cell phone, I believe that's not allowed on school property, although many students violate it. And yes her terrorist threat (that is what it was) probably weighed in the decision.

TheObjectiveVoice 10 years, 7 months ago

If she was a student at Queen's College, I would expect her to have more sense than that. She was expelled from school, her travel visa revoked and now that will go on her record wherever she goes. I hope her parents teach her a good, good lesson for doing something so dumb and stupid. The U.S. aint playing with nobody. They can't take the slightest threat lightly at all and neither can we. I hope she wasn't in her final year of school because she probably just blew it for herself.

sheeprunner12 10 years, 7 months ago

This is instructive for ALL OF US who use the internet............. its like drinking alcohol........... do it responsibly (over 18 years old).

This incident should be shared with the other 50,000 students, especially those in senior high school

SP 10 years, 7 months ago

Let's not be stupid or take ourselves too seriously here......A kid will be a kid and say and do things harmlessly just for fun and laughs with friends.

Give the student a stern warning and leave the kid alone for Christ sake's....She's just having a bit of fun on social media with HER FRIENDS ......You idiots NEED TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS and get a life!

Life sucks when even a kid can't crack a joke anymore before some jackass in a uniform or Kmart suit shows up asking stupid questions!

By the way...........BREAKING NEWS......

Bin Laden is alive and well living at a PLP bone fish lodge managed by an FNM confidant in West Andros planning the next terror attack on America at Disney World using the missing Malaysian jet liner.

BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago

WOW!!! You are just saying this to get people riled up. You can't possibly believe something like this is a joke.

You think the family's of the victims at Fort Hood would find her comments funny, People DIED!!!! Children are without parents, a spouse lost a love, a mother lost a child, people lost loved ones- that is never to be taken as a joke.

Whether she was having fun or not the matter remains what would make her think it would be a funny situation. A kid being a kid saying stupid things does not take in account being deliberately callous and disrespectful about the senseless death of other humans.

She deserves to be punished and made an example of for other to see and take note. You say it may be a joke but when does a joke go to far- I am sure the parents of Lindhurst Highschool, Columbine Highschool, and Virgina Tech, students would disagree.

This is a crucial step for the Bahamas- this may or may not be the defining line for these kinds of incidents. I am not saying it couldn't happen, but who knows, maybe a student seeing this situation who might have been thinking of mowing down their school may think twice now.

This country can't afford to let anything slip underneath the radar- we are fighting for our country. We are in a downward spiral and it is clearly starting at the school level. I hope they do more than expel her and take her traveling visa. They should press some kind of charges to show this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and actions have consequences.

ThisIsOurs 10 years, 7 months ago

Sure give her a break today , let a bigger "every action has a reaction" net with stiffer consequences catch her 10 yrs from now

Bahamianpride 10 years, 7 months ago

Social media will be the death of us all.. People say and post irresponsible and revealing things on these sights daily.. Despite its many usefulness as a networking tool, It has primarily become the new source of relavence in this world, the " Hey look how fabulous i am show". What's Interesting is individuals mostly post the positives of there life and for those who know them it is constant rollercoaster ride of false advertisement, fake religious belief and postings, uplifting advise and quotes they never live, and just pure falsehoods in many cases. With this young lady a valuable chance of education was lost, since QC is in the business of educating young people, she should of been suspended, counselled and educated about her irresponsible act, not expelled.

BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago

No , she should have be arrested not just expelled. She threw away her valuable chance at education when she thought that it was okay to post her comments on a social media access to which millions have access. This clearly shows not only a marked lack of judgement but a serious underlying issue.

What if this behaviour had just been the beginning of something bigger? I use to feel the same as you do, but then I've been robbed at gunpoint, had my apt broken into among other things. And I started to wonder if that child who stole money out their mother's purse and was never fully corrected could be that same person stealing as an adult.

I recall as a child I stole some money from my mom to buy a bag of salty and a cup. Most children probably do this- but it's the parents reactions that may be the determining factor on if this behaviour continues and possibly escalates. My mom placed my hands on the counter top and bruised my knuckles with a wooden conch beater. To this day I have never stolen anything- that lesson will stay with me the rest of my life.

Point is...she needs heavy punishment. For herself a lesson needs to be taught and for others to see.

BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago

I see you spewed your usual irrelevant and silly comments...but I am coming to expect stupidity from you and no longer will respond to you. Just adding fuel to a fire already build by an idiot who clearly as no real grip on reality.

sansoucireader 10 years, 7 months ago

Ridiculous headline as the US Embassy cannot 'take anyone into custody' or come into someone's school and arrest them. Having said that, her name will probably be placed on a stop-list FOREVER and she'll never get a visa to travel or study in the USA. Obviously she has some issues of her own; why would a person claim to be responsible for a mass murder? What if she decided to go and shoot up her now former school? Something's not right! I hope someone is making sure she receives some intense therapy/counseling sessions.Seems like this might be a symptom for something bigger.

BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago

GOOD!!! They should have arrested her, what would make her think it was okay to say what she did. Her stupidity could have just narrowed her future opportunities without her even being aware. She needs to be evaluated and sent for some kind of counseling because clearly she isn't in her right mind. Why would a highschool student feel it's okay to be so callous about mass murder. I would also look into her associations- for they know she might not be the only one with this kind of attitude towards such violence. While we may like to think our little Bahamaland is sheltered from such behaviours the Fox Hill shooting has taught us that Bahamians are branching out. Who is to say she might not be in collusion with others to commit some kind of mass murder right on New Providence. Better to be safe than sorry and follow up to ensure her comments were just made out of stupidity and not some actual hero worship of such behaviour.

If she had been in the US please believe she would have been arrested, there is a difference between free speech and saying you are responsible for attacks on military personnel. SMH!!!

BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago

Can you for a second stop being a complete nincompoop (although it seems you may be one of the stupid ones that can't help themselves) and realize it isn't about social media posting. It is about the callous and disrespectful remarks made after the killing of people.

As former US military personnel I can say without a doubt her comments more than offended. It was downright disgusting and unnecessary, she is lucky all she got was suspended and visa revoked.

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