SLIDELL - A 12-year-old boy was arrested Thursday after he allegedly sent text messages to a classmate threatening to shoot up their school.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said the boy, who attends a private school in the Slidell area, was issued a summons for terrorizing. He was released to his parent and ordered to appear in court to face the charge. 

“We have made it very clear that we will take threats like this seriously,” Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement. “We will continue to work with our schools and investigate any and all threats at our schools or to the students and faculty who attend them. Parents I urge you, to please speak with your children about the seriousness of actions such as these.”