TRENTIN MCWILLIAMS

IRON MOUNTAIN — An 18-year-old former Norway student accused of threatening Norway-Vulcan Area Schools in a video Snapchat message Monday night has been criminally charged.

Trentin McWilliams was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Dickinson County District Court on a charge of making a false report or threat of terrorism, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

According to the criminal complaint, McWilliams admitted to Norway Police Department officers he posted photos and a video of himself with a handgun and ammunition to social media Nov. 4 with threatening messages that were viewed by students, parents and school officials, the complaint stated.

A probable cause conference will be Nov. 18. Bond is set at $15,000 cash, surety or 10 percent.

Earlier reports stated Norway-Vulcan Superintendent Louis Steigerwald was notified of the online post between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Monday by high school Principal Joe Tinti.

“We took this very seriously and immediately called the Norway Police Department,” Steigerwald said. “We were able to show them the video as well as give them the name of the individual who posted the threat.”

McWilliams was taken into custody at his home less than an hour later, authorities said.

Classes met as scheduled Tuesday, though a number of messages and posts on social media questioned whether to send children to school and criticized the district for still being in session while the threat still was being investigated.

Steigerwald said he understood the concerns, but insisted the school would have taken a different approach had the teen remained unidentified or not in custody.

Police and district officials also concluded there was “no evidence” other students or a “gang” might be involved, Steigerwald said.