'Hit list' by Walker Butte, Poston Butte cheerleaders posted on Instagram, says PCSO

FLORENCE, AZ - Authorities say two teens in Florence posted a “hit list” on the social media smartphone app, Instagram.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said it received a phone call from the Florence Unified School District around 6 a.m. Wednesday about the list discovered on the internet.

A parent of one of the students on the list called the school district about it, PCSO said.

Two female students created the list: an 8th grader at Walker Butte K-8 and a 10th grader at Poston Butte High School, said PCSO.

They reportedly had an icon of a pistol next to the words, “hit list”.

The girls, both cheerleaders, reportedly told PCSO deputies they added names of people they didn’t like to the list.

In an email to parents and staff, the school district said nine students who attend Poston Butte and Walker Butte, as well as a teacher at Poston Butte, were on the list.

The girls said they didn’t plan to do any harm to any of the students or the teacher on the list, PCSO said.

“Neither student has a history of disciplinary incidents; however ALL threats are taken very seriously, and both students will be suspended pending a hearing,” the school district wrote in the email.

PCSO is continuing to interview people involved in the case.

The case will likely be submitted to the County Attorney’s Office for charges of threatening and intimidating, PCSO said.