Police arrest man in Whitefish after threats to schools

A 28-year-old man who recently moved to Kalispell was arrested at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Monday, Feb. 16, after threats he made to schools, students and Jews nearly shut down Flathead Valley schools the next day.

David Joseph Lenio was taken into custody at Big Mountain around 4:45 p.m. Local law enforcement were tipped off about Lenio about 11 p.m. on Feb. 15 when authorities in Oregon called with a warning about 38 threats that had been posted on social media.

“He referenced other incidents of school violence, and he mentioned his dislike of Jews,” Kalispell police chief Roger Nasset said.

Nasset said his department mobilized 12 officers to work overnight on the case. They were joined by FBI agents, other law enforcement and school authorities. They eventually learned that Lenio was snowboarding at the ski resort, and officers were dispatched to watch his vehicle.

Two hours after he was apprehended, Nasset reported that Lenio was in custody for a mental health evaluation. He currently is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center on a single charge of malicious intimidation and harassment.

Nasset confirmed that authorities believed Lenio was alone in making the threats. The social media posts made by Lenio did not mention specific schools, times or locations. An investigation is underway.