Portsmouth, NH – A man from Berwick, Maine, 26-year-old Kyle Hendrickson, who threatened to “shoot up” a high school has been sentenced to slightly over three years in prison.
According to a statement from the U.S. Justice Department, in addition to the 37-month sentence, he received three years of supervised release.
FBI officials expressed the real danger presented by Hendrickson.
They highlighted his possession of an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, and body armor found in his vehicle, noting the severity of the threat he posed in planning a mass shooting at Portsmouth High School. The FBI’s Special Agent in Charge, Jodi Cohen, emphasized the need for swiftness in bringing those who break federal law and threaten violence to justice, to ensure community safety.
Hendrickson had admitted guilt in December to issuing threatening communications across states and for having a firearm in a school zone. At his sentencing, he claimed he never intended to carry out the shooting and expressed regret, emphasizing that he never aimed to harm anyone.
Despite requests for leniency based on the video threat being considered a failed joke, U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliot stressed the seriousness of Hendrickson’s actions due to the fear instilled in potential victims.