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The garden at Shelton High School, recently redesigned by member of the Olde Ripton Garden Club.
Contributed photo
DERBY — An 18-year-old Shelton High School student arrested Wednesday, Sept. 25, after allegedly posting a video threatening his classmates will be confined to his home with an electronic monitoring device, a judge ruled.
Eliezer Reyes appeared in Derby Superior Court Thursday on charges of first-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace and brandishing a facsimile firearm. Judge Peter McShane released Reyes to his family with a promise to appear back in court Oct. 3.
Board of Education Chairman Mark Holden and schools Superintendent Chris Clouet said Reyes was not allowed in school on Thursday and that there would be extra security at the schools. Clouet said that Reyes “will not be permitted on school grounds for the foreseeable future.”
According to police, Reyes told officers he posted a threatening video to Snapchat Wednesday, Sept. 25, because he was upset after his sister was “jumped” at a school in North Carolina.
“On my (expletive) life I don’t want nobody to (expletive) try me tomorrow if I go to school because something just happened in my family and I’m willing to kill someone right now in this (expletive) moment,” Eliezer Andrew Reyes said, according to one of the people who saw the video and then called police.
The video showed Reyes, 18, “showing off” what appeared to be a handgun, according to a police report, but the gun turned out to be fake.
Reyes left court Thursday, Sept. 26, with his mother and girlfriend, declining to comment to reporters.
The judge also ordered that Reyes’ whereabouts be monitored electronically and told him to stay away from Shelton High School. Reyes has been suspended from school for 10 days and could be expelled.
According to police, Reyes posted the Snapchat video in a fantasy football group chat. Almost immediately, people began to report the video to police and school officials.
Officers went to Reyes’ house, where they found him hanging out with a friend and a brother.
Police said Reyes admitted to making the video because he was upset “that his sister had been jumped in North Carolina at school today.”
In court Thursday, a bail commissioner said Reyes had no criminal record and recommended his release on a promise to appear with a house arrest and referral for mental health and substance abuse evaluations.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Kim Northrop asked the judge to set bond at $100,000.
“The facts as presented indicate that he is a risk to the community,” she said.
Senior Assistant Public Defender Jonathan Gable asked the judge to release Reyes, noting that the gun displayed in the video is fake.
“The weapon is not capable of discharging projectiles,” he said. “I don’t think there was ever any real threat. This is more boisterous behavior, and inappropriate.”
“To say it’s inappropriate is an understatement,” the judge said.
However, the judge also noted that Reyes had no criminal history, ordered him to undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations, and said he would be on a “short leash” until he appears in court again Oct. 3.
In addition to house arrest, except for medical appointments and electronic monitoring, the judge ordered Reyes to check in with court officials by phone every day, stay away from Shelton High School and not to possess any weapons.
Ethan Fry contributed to this article.