ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Rowan County investigators are looking at the cellphone of the East Rowan High student arrested in connection with a threatening Facebook post.
Amber Beaver, 17, is in jail for allegedly posting a photo of a table full of guns.
Eyewitness News reporter Brittney Johnson spoke to an expert who trains cyber detectives and schools about suspected violent threats like the one Beaver posted and learned it's usually tough for officers to make an arrest.
READ MORE: Teen accused of posting school threat on Facebook
Authorities arrested her Saturday for allegedly reposting a picture of a table covered with guns and the words "School (going to) be lit."
Dale Callan trains officers on how to use software to trace photos and dig up digital evidence.
"Just by posting the picture that could be on the Internet or something, so it depends on what the text and title said with it," Callan said.
National school security experts said electronics are fueling the growth of violent threats.
From August to December of 2014, high schools received 70 percent of violent online threats, middle schools -- 18 percent and elementary schools -- 10 percent.
Callan said over the past five years, demand for training has skyrocketed.
"Cellphones have kind of exploded," he said. "The downside is for law enforcement is sometimes they can't afford that software."
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department owns those tools but they mostly rely on subpoenas.
Investigators used an app to track down a 21-year-old in 2014 after a threat made towards Providence High School.
Callan said even when teens think they're anonymous they've usually left behind critical digital clues
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools police chief said they investigate all threats but rarely find any credible and in 8 years he has never found any weapons associated with online threats.
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