Queens teen, 16, pledges to shoot up high school on social media; found with loaded gun after Instagram alert

A 16-year-old student at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens pledged to shoot up a high school on social media and was found with a loaded handgun on campus Thursday after Instagram moderators flagged the post, authorities said. The FBI traced the phone number linked to the account, officials added.

The student was nabbed by school safety officers on school grounds and taken into custody without incident; there were no injuries reported. Investigators said the post included a picture of a mannequin sketch captioned 'boutta shoot the school up.'

Police and federal investigators said the FBI traced the account to the student and coordinated with school safety officers to locate him on campus. The incident prompted a rapid response from law enforcement and school officials.

'Someone saw the post from the student and did what we ask all New Yorkers to do – if you see something, say something, but most importantly do something, and that is what they did,' Adams said. 'We potentially saved the lives of a lot of students and staff today, and I don’t want to imagine a world where we would be making a different announcement right now.'

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about threats in schools and the role of social media and platform moderation in prevention. Authorities say such tips and rapid reporting can avert violence.