An East Lyme High School graduate charged last month with posting an online threat promising a “hail of bullets” after the holiday break made a brief appearance Friday in New London Superior Court. 

The case of Tyler McKenzie, 18, of 49 Cubles Drive was continued to Feb. 3, when attorneys for the state and Tyler will begin discussing whether the charges can be resolved short of trial. 

McKenzie was charged with first-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace after authorities said he posted the threat on the social media site Yik Yak on Dec. 23. Free on a $25,000 bond, he is on GPS monitoring and remains on house arrest except for school, medical, legal and religious purposes. He graduated from East Lyme High School in 2014 and is attending the University of Connecticut. 

McKenzie’s court file indicates he has retained attorney Michael A. Blanchard of the Suisman Shapiro Law Firm to represent him. The court has not yet addressed a motion filed by attorney Narcy Dubicki, who represented McKenzie at his arraignment, for the return of electronic devices belonging to Tyler and his mother that were seized during the investigation. The items seized included an iPhone, an iPod, three laptop computers, two tablets and a Nintendo gaming system. 

Tracked down by police in the days following the online posting, McKenzie said he “didn’t believe he wanted to harm anyone but he wasn’t sure,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit. He said he had no intention of carrying out the threat. 

Police said there was no evidence McKenzie had access to any firearms. 

The posting led Superintendent of Schools James Lombardo to cancel several sporting events at the high school while police investigated.