Police records show Snapchat's threat system alerted the FBI, leading deputies to arrest a teacher later cleared. #
Snapchat's automated safety system sent a private group chat from a 22-year-old student teacher to the FBI, triggering her arrest at an Illinois elementary school less than an hour later, according to police records and body-camera footage released under public records laws.
Authorities later found that the message, sent by Illinois State University student teacher Kristen Volpe, did not amount to a credible threat, but the documents show in detail how one private Snapchat post moved from the app's AI systems to federal agents and then local deputies.
Deputies Enter School After AI Alert #
Volpe was completing her student teaching placement at John L. Hensey Elementary School in Washington, Illinois, on 29 January 2025 when a pupil interrupted her lesson and deleted work she had been preparing on her laptop. Frustrated, she opened a private Snapchat group shared with her boyfriend and two roommates and sent a message referring to shooting the child or the school.
Police records show Snapchat's automated systems classified the message as a potential threat and transmitted an emergency report to the FBI. Federal authorities then referred the information to the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office. Deputies entered the school roughly an hour after the message was sent.
Officers searched Volpe, found no weapons and questioned her before placing her under arrest on a disorderly conduct charge. Body-camera footage captured her reaction after deputies showed her the message.
'Oh yes. OK. Yeah. I'm realising that was a bad joke. I did not mean it at all, serious at all,' she said. Volpe was booked into the Tazewell County Jail and released the following day.
Investigation Found No Ongoing Threat #
Investigators concluded Volpe did not present an immediate danger to pupils or staff. Washington District 50 Superintendent Chad Allaman later informed parents there was no continuing threat at the school.
The district also confirmed Volpe would not return to complete her teaching placement. Subsequent court proceedings reportedly moved towards a deferred prosecution programme.
How a Private Chat Reached the FBI #
Documents released through public records requests reconstruct the reporting sequence, tracing the path of Volpe's message from a small private group to multiple law enforcement agencies.
Volpe sent the message to a private Snapchat group.
Snapchat's automated safety systems identified language associated with a possible school threat and generated an emergency report.
The report was transmitted to the FBI. Federal authorities forwarded it to local deputies.
Deputies responded to the school and arrested Volpe. The records do not indicate that Volpe was notified the message had been reported before officers arrived.
Snapchat's Emergency Disclosure Policy #
Snapchat's published safety policy states the company may voluntarily disclose user information to law enforcement when it believes there is an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm. The company says emergency disclosures can be made before receiving a court order where immediate intervention is considered necessary.
Police records do not indicate whether a human moderator reviewed Volpe's message before the emergency report was generated.
Body-Camera Footage Shows Full Timeline #
The arrest attracted renewed attention after body-camera footage and police documents became public more than a year later. The material documents the period between the private message being sent and deputies arriving at the school, including Volpe's interview with officers and investigators' conclusion that she did not present a credible threat.
The records also provide one of the clearest publicly available accounts of how a private Snapchat conversation progressed through the platform's automated threat-reporting process before reaching federal and local law enforcement.
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