Teen charged with seven felonies related to threats made on Wikipedia, Wikinews interviews administrator who contacted police
{{date|April 25, 2008}}
{{WikimediaMention}}
[[Image:LA County Incorporated Areas Pomona highlighted.svg|thumb|[[w:Municipality|Incorporated areas]] in [[w:Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]], [[California]]. City of [[w:Pomona, California|Pomona]] highlighted in red. {{Image source|[[w:User:Ixnayonthetimmay|Ixnayonthetimmay]]}}]]
A 15-year-old boy, arrested last Friday in conjunction with criminal threats made on [[Wikipedia]], was charged Thursday with seven [[w:Felony|felonies]] in Pomona Juvenile Court in [[w:Pomona, California|Pomona]], [[California]]. Prosecutors stated that the teen posted two threats on Wikipedia, saying that six named students as well as members of his school's badminton team would be shot. The court arraignment had initially been set for Tuesday, but was continued until Thursday. ''[[Wikinews]]'' interviewed the Wikipedia administrator who contacted police after the threats had been made on the site.

Though officials had said the boy made a full confession that he had made threats to other students via the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, he denied the charges at the Thursday court petition. The court ordered that he remain detained pending a May 9 scheduled appearance before Pomona Juvenile Court. He has remained in custody since his arrest. 

The threats were made via two separate edits to the Wikipedia article about [[w:Glen A. Wilson High School|Glen A. Wilson High School]] in [[w:Hacienda Heights, California|Hacienda Heights]], California on April 16. Wikipedia administrators were made aware of the threats in a post to the "[[w:Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents|Administrators' noticeboard]]" on April 16 by Wikipedia admin Dreadstar. Another Wikipedia administrator, John Reaves, contacted the police in [[w:Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, California]], and helped them work with the [[w:Internet service provider|Internet service provider]] to find more information on the [[w:IP address|IP address]] that made the threat. A third Wikipedia administrator, Persian Poet Gal, removed the threats from the edit history of the article after finding out that the student had been arrested.

Students' backpacks were searched prior to entering Glen A. Wilson High School on April 17 and all after-school activities were canceled that day. All classes were canceled April 18, and classes resumed on Monday.

==Interview==
[[Image:Glen A. Wilson High School threat on WP-ANI (2008-04-17).png|thumb|[[w:Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents|Administrators' noticeboard]] thread from [[w:English Wikipedia|English Wikipedia]] where administrators discussed a threat made on the site.]]
''Wikinews'' interviewed Wikipedia administrator [[w:User:JohnReaves|John Reaves]], the administrator who contacted police in Los Angeles about the threats made on Wikipedia.

{{WNI response|Wikinews}}'''Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by Wikinews about your part in the incident previously covered in the ''Wikinews'' article: "[[California student arrested in criminal threats made on Wikipedia]]". How long have you been an administrator on the English Wikipedia?

:'''John Reaves''': About a year and one month.

{{WNI response|WN}}'''What areas do you normally focus your contributions to Wikipedia?

:'''J.R.''': Random, OTRS steers a lot of my edits. [ [[w:OTRS|OTRS]] is short for ''Open-source Ticket Request System'', and within Wikipedia refers to the people who respond to e-mails sent to the [[w:Wikimedia Foundation|Wikimedia Foundation]].]

{{WNI response|WN}}'''Are you aware of previous criminal threats made on Wikipedia?  If so, were you directly involved in dealing with any of them?

:'''J.R.''': I was aware of another school shooting threat was made I believe, but I wasn't involved. 

{{WNI response|WN}}''' How did you first notice the threats made on the Wikipedia article "[[w:Glen A. Wilson High School|Glen A. Wilson High School]]" ?

:'''J.R.''': [[w:User:Dreadstar|User:Dreadstar]] posted to AN [Wikipedia's Administrators' noticeboard] asking for advice.

{{WNI response|WN}}'''You had said at the Administrators' noticeboard that you were speaking with a detective - What police department did you get in contact with?

:'''J.R.''': I believe it was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department's Industry City station.

{{WNI response|WN}}'''How did you work with the detective and the Internet service provider?  Did you give them any additional information, other than the suspect's IP address?

:'''J.R.''': I gave them the basic information you get when you run a checkuser (which included  the  IP address among other things).  I also forwarded this to the ISP who referred me to their legal department in a reply. I also had to give them a brief overview of how Wikipedia works (which was rather difficult to do on the spot and to people who had never heard of the project). [The [[w:Wikipedia:CheckUser|Checkuser tool]] on Wikipedia allows those with "checkuser" status to examine user IP information and other server log data.]

{{WNI response|WN}}'''Did you notify the Wikimedia Foundation staff that you had contacted the police? If so, what was their reaction?

:'''J.R.''': I spoke with Board member Michael Snow via [[w:Internet Relay Chat|IRC]] and [he] gave me the go ahead on releasing the checkuser information and I spoke with Cary Bass [Volunteer Coordinator for the Wikimedia Foundation] the next day.  I don't remember their reactions. 

{{WNI response|WN}}'''Are you satisfied with the way Wikipedia administrators responded to the threat?  Could anything have been done differently?

:'''J.R.''': Yes, the only thing that could have been better would be if there had been someone who could have made it a local call. 

{{WNI response|WN}}'''How can Wikipedia administrators better prepare for this scenario in case it happens again?

:'''J.R.''': I don't see what you can do to prepare for something like that.  If it's serious, call the police, if you don't know, post at AN.

{{WNI response|WN}}'''How do you feel law enforcement responded to the threat? What could they have done better? How can they plan for this in the future?

:'''J.R.''': They responded full force.  It would have been easier if they were a little more wired though (anyone who has ever had to read the [[w:Uniform Resource Locator|URL]] of a diff over the phone would also agree). [A "[[w:Help:Diff|Diff]]" is the difference between two versions of a page on Wikipedia, it can also refer to the long link in the address bar denoting the version of those pages.]

{{WNI response|WN}}'''Do you have any advice for law enforcement from other locations that may be monitoring this situation?

:'''J.R.''': Get an e-mail address and some basic computer/internet crimes knowledge. 

{{WNI response|WN}}'''Thank you for your time, and thanks for speaking with Wikinews.

{{haveyoursay}}
==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=California student arrested in criminal threats made on Wikipedia|date=April 19, 2008}}

== Sources ==
{{interview}}
{{original}}
*{{source|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Diff&oldid=207602294|title=Help:Diff|author=|pub=Wikipedia|date=April 25, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=User:Cary_Bass&oldid=20976|title=User:Cary Bass|author=|pub=Wikimedia Foundation|date=April 25, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:CheckUser&oldid=207866616|title=Wikipedia:CheckUser|author=|pub=Wikipedia|date=April 25, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:OTRS&oldid=207067700|title=Wikipedia:OTRS|author=|pub=Wikipedia|date=April 25, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.knbc.com/news/15985793/detail.html|title=Teen Denies Threats Against Hacienda Heights School: Boy Is Charged With 7 Felonies, Officials Say|author=|pub=KNBC|date=April 24, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9044266|title=Hacienda Heights teen denies making criminal threats|author=[[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]]|pub=San Jose Mercury News|date=April 24, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_9021445|title=Around the Valley: Hearing in threat case continues|author=|pub=Pasadena Star-News|date=April 22, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_9013556|title=Glen A. Wilson High School student to be arraigned today|author=|pub=Pasadena Star-News|date=April 22, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.knbc.com/news/15950764/detail.html|title=Teen Charged With Making Threats Against Hacienda Heights Students|author=|pub=KNBC-TV|date=April 21, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9008768|title=Teen faces felony charges for threatening school badminton team, six students|author=[[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]]|pub=San Jose Mercury News|date=April 21, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.knbc.com/news/15918619/detail.html|title=Police: Student Accused Of Wiki Threat Makes Full Confession|author=|pub=KNBC|date=April 17, 2008}}

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[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Los Angeles, California]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Free speech]]
[[Category:Badminton]]
Incorporated areas in Los Angeles County, California. City of Pomona highlighted in red. 
A 15-year-old boy, arrested last Friday in conjunction with criminal threats made on Wikipedia, was charged Thursday with seven felonies in Pomona Juvenile Court in Pomona, California. Prosecutors stated that the teen posted two threats on Wikipedia, saying that six named students as well as members of his school's badminton team would be shot. The court arraignment had initially been set for Tuesday, but was continued until Thursday. Wikinews interviewed the Wikipedia administrator who contacted police after the threats had been made on the site.

Though officials had said the boy made a full confession that he had made threats to other students via the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, he denied the charges at the Thursday court petition. The court ordered that he remain detained pending a May 9 scheduled appearance before Pomona Juvenile Court. He has remained in custody since his arrest. 

The threats were made via two separate edits to the Wikipedia article about Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California on April 16. Wikipedia administrators were made aware of the threats in a post to the "Administrators' noticeboard" on April 16 by Wikipedia admin Dreadstar. Another Wikipedia administrator, John Reaves, contacted the police in Los Angeles, California, and helped them work with the Internet service provider to find more information on the IP address that made the threat. A third Wikipedia administrator, Persian Poet Gal, removed the threats from the edit history of the article after finding out that the student had been arrested.

Students' backpacks were searched prior to entering Glen A. Wilson High School on April 17 and all after-school activities were canceled that day. All classes were canceled April 18, and classes resumed on Monday.

'Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by Wikinews about your part in the incident previously covered in the Wikinews article: "California student arrested in criminal threats made on Wikipedia". How long have you been an administrator on the English Wikipedia?

:'John Reaves': About a year and one month.

'What areas do you normally focus your contributions to Wikipedia?

:'J.R.': Random, OTRS steers a lot of my edits.  OTRS is short for Open-source Ticket Request System, and within Wikipedia refers to the people who respond to e-mails sent to the Wikimedia Foundation.

'Are you aware of previous criminal threats made on Wikipedia?  If so, were you directly involved in dealing with any of them?

:'J.R.': I was aware of another school shooting threat was made I believe, but I wasn't involved. 

' How did you first notice the threats made on the Wikipedia article "Glen A. Wilson High School" ?

:'J.R.': User:Dreadstar posted to AN Wikipedia's Administrators' noticeboard asking for advice.

'You had said at the Administrators' noticeboard that you were speaking with a detective - What police department did you get in contact with?

:'J.R.': I believe it was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department's Industry City station.

'How did you work with the detective and the Internet service provider?  Did you give them any additional information, other than the suspect's IP address?

:'J.R.': I gave them the basic information you get when you run a checkuser (which included  the  IP address among other things).  I also forwarded this to the ISP who referred me to their legal department in a reply. I also had to give them a brief overview of how Wikipedia works (which was rather difficult to do on the spot and to people who had never heard of the project). The Checkuser tool on Wikipedia allows those with "checkuser" status to examine user IP information and other server log data.

'Did you notify the Wikimedia Foundation staff that you had contacted the police? If so, what was their reaction?

:'J.R.': I spoke with Board member Michael Snow via IRC and he gave me the go ahead on releasing the checkuser information and I spoke with Cary Bass Volunteer Coordinator for the Wikimedia Foundation the next day.  I don't remember their reactions. 

'Are you satisfied with the way Wikipedia administrators responded to the threat?  Could anything have been done differently?

:'J.R.': Yes, the only thing that could have been better would be if there had been someone who could have made it a local call. 

'How can Wikipedia administrators better prepare for this scenario in case it happens again?

:'J.R.': I don't see what you can do to prepare for something like that.  If it's serious, call the police, if you don't know, post at AN.

'How do you feel law enforcement responded to the threat? What could they have done better? How can they plan for this in the future?

:'J.R.': They responded full force.  It would have been easier if they were a little more wired though (anyone who has ever had to read the URL of a diff over the phone would also agree). A "Diff" is the difference between two versions of a page on Wikipedia, it can also refer to the long link in the address bar denoting the version of those pages.

'Do you have any advice for law enforcement from other locations that may be monitoring this situation?

:'J.R.': Get an e-mail address and some basic computer/internet crimes knowledge. 

'Thank you for your time, and thanks for speaking with Wikinews.
California Los Angeles, California Crime and law Education Internet Wikipedia Free speech Badminton