Police: RCS students charged in connection with 'violent' videos

RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — Four students in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District have been arrested in connection with two videos police say they posted on social media.

The videos were deemed “violent” and featured a portrayal of what appeared to be a school shooting. The videos were posted to Instagram.

The students’ names have not been released. They were 14, 15 and 10 years old. The age of the third is not known at this time.

The issue first came to light when the school district was alerted by another student that two videos had been posted to Instagram with troubling content. District officials looked into the issue and notified the police.

Both videos are said to have violent content as well as racism, according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. Apple described the videos as “graphic” and “disturbing.”

All four students have been charged with making a terroristic threat. They have all been suspended from school.

The district released a statement this weekend alerting the community to the issue and how it was being handled.

“Two social media posts were brought to our attention late last night,” according to the statement from the district. “The posts featured fictional, violent videos that were created by four RCS students.”

The statement went on to say there were no specific references to the school district in the videos, but they were nonetheless “troubling.”

“There were no references to RCS, specific people, locations, or scenarios that promised violence against RCS. However, the troubling content and behaviors displayed in the posts were sufficient to warrant a full investigation by the district and local authorities,” according to the statement.

The students have been released to their parents’ custody and are expected to appear in family court this week.