KUTV screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

Moms shouldn't snoop on their kids' social media. Unless they should.

An example from Utah suggests that sometimes mom is the only thing between kids and a disaster.

As KUTV reports, a mom was stunned to discover that her son's Facebook page contained comments from other teens that were menacing.

Indeed, police say these postings were threats to shoot him.

Mom did what any mom would. She called her son's school, West High School in Salt Lake City. The school informed the police and two teenagers were arrested.

Det. Greg Wilking of Salt Lake City police told KUTV: "They were threatening his life on Facebook. Pretty credible threats. And there were also pictures on Instagram involving a weapon."

He added: "When they're posting it on social media and then they're actually where they said they were going to be and they have a weapon, I would say that's a pretty credible threat."

Police say that when the two suspects (not students at the school) were arrested, they found a gun and a loaded magazine, as well as drugs. They also say that the evidence they have obtained is considerable.

"Anything you do online these days can be traced back to you," explained Wilking.

Some say that teens are fleeing Facebook because they don't want their parents spying on them. There are instances, however, when a parent's care might be difference between safety and severe danger.

This, if the facts are as the police state, may be one of those instances.