Texas Teen Justin Carter Facebook Terroristic 'Joke' Gets him in Jail

By Laura Taylor

A Texas teen faces up to eight years in jail after making a comment on Facebook about shooting up a kindergarten.

Justin Carter, 19, charged with terroristic threat on Facebook, is on suicide watch after being jailed since March 27.

The teen's mother, Jennifer Carter, says her son was being sarcastic when he posted the message, "I think I’ma shoot up a kindergarten and watch the blood of innocent rain down and eat the beating heart of one of them."

Allegedly, someone responded to the post, writing, "you’re crazy, you’re messed up in the head." Justin replied, "lol." and "jk"

Although "lol" is online speak for "laughing out loud" and "jk" means "just kidding," local police treated the teen's post as a terroristic threat.

A woman from Canada saw the facebook posting, she did a Google search and found Carter’s old address was near an elementary school. She then called the police.

Justin Carter was arrested the next month and has been jailed since March 27.

Carter is charged with making a terroristic threat — a felony. He's being held on a $500,000 bond while he waits for his case to come to trial. His family says they can’t afford to pay his bail.

In an online petition that has gained more than 40,000 supporters for Justin's freedom, Jennifer wrote:

"Justin's a good kid. He wouldn't hurt anyone, let alone a child. What happened is that he was in an argument on the League of Legends website, which continued on a Facebook page, and someone on Facebook called him crazy and messed up in the head.

So he responded in a sarcastic tone by saying something along the lines of 'Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts' which was followed by saying JK (just kidding) and LOL (laughing out loud). His response may have been in bad taste, but it was written in a non-threatening way that didn't translate well online."

Unfortunately, Justin's comments came only two months after Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut back in December of 2012.

An Austin, Texas, police spokesperson told Parentdish the department takes any threat made against schools seriously, especially after recent events.

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories