A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
A story of the hometown boy gets arrested genre, published on the Grand Rapids page of Michigan Live this morning, reports Lenio moved from Grand Rapids to Kalispell a couple of months ago.
So far, all news stories report that Lenio did not make specific threats. What seems to have spooked authorities is the frequency and intensity of his posts on his Twitter account. The Daily InterLake’s account is typical:
With school out on Monday for President’s Day, [Kalispell chief of police] Nasset said that a more serious situation likely was avoided. Lenio’s alleged threats didn’t target specific schools or students, but contained strong language. Lenio’s social media accounts appear to have been taken down.
“The message that he was sending out was about killing people,” Nasset said. “He was primarily focused on grade-school children and Jewish people.”
On Tuesday, police were wrapping up an investigation that included a mental evaluation of Lenio. Nasset said that it was “unclear what his ideology was” during interviews.
One interpretation of the situation is that a vigilant citizen and fast acting law enforcement authorities averted a school massacre. But another is that a loud and chilling cry for help was answered by a law enforcement led intervention that amounted to protective detention. There’s more glory for the vigilant and the constable in the former explanation, but perhaps more truth in the latter.