Threats Against Schools

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) – Panhandle Scanner is monitoring the situation where there have been multiple teens arrested in the United States for making terroristic threats against schools.

Several different states have received threats, but at this time, we do not have any reports of Nebraska schools being threatened. (see updates at end of article)

These threats are not isolated to one school. Law enforcement in several different counties and states are investigating similar threats.

We’ve provided updates from several different schools below.

📢 Greenville County Georgia Update

We are aware of threats to several schools across the country, including some within Greenville County. Please rest assured that our School Resource Officers are thoroughly investigating these matters and will continue monitoring the situation for potential threats.

The safety and well-being of the students and staff remain our highest priority.

#SchoolSafety #GreenvilleCounty

📢 Edinburg, Texas Update

Edinburg CISD is aware of concerning videos and threats being recirculated on social media. A suspect is in custody in another district related to these threats. The threats were made toward several RGV schools, Edinburg CISD was not one of them.
Edinburg CISD will continue to monitor the situation. All threats are taken seriously. The safety of our Students and Staff is our highest priority.

📢 Weslaco, Texas Update

Weslaco ISD is aware of the threatening Social Media posts made this past weekend. In working with the Weslaco Police Department, it has been determined that the threats were made by an individual who does not reside in the Rio Grande Valley. The individual has been identified, and the authorities are addressing the matter. Regardless of the type of threat received, WISD takes all threats seriously. In coordination with the Weslaco Police Department, they will provide extra patrols throughout the district.

MEDIA RELEASE

Monday September 9, 2024

                      SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS

Weslaco, Texas – The Weslaco Police Department has become aware of multiple social media posts circulations on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. These posts pertain to threats made against several Weslaco ISD School and Idea School in Weslaco. We want to assure the Weslaco Community that we are not only aware of these concerns but we are also actively investigating the incidents.

Safety and security are our utmost priorities. We take any threats against our educational institutions very seriously, and we are committed to ensuring the well-being of all students and staff. The Weslaco Police Department has increased patrols at these campuses, and we can assure you that we are continuing to monitor social media pages.

Additionally, we urge you to engage in conversations with your children about the gravity of making threats and the importance of being responsible while using social media platforms. It is crucial for our younger community members to understand the impact their words and actions can have in a digital space.

The Weslaco Police Department will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide updates as necessary. We thank the community for its vigilance and cooperation in these matters.

📢 Eagle Pass, Texas Update

Today, SAPD Detectives were made aware of this social media post that had been circulating on various platforms.  The detectives worked to identify the individual responsible for this post and arrested him on 7 counsts of Terroristic Threats- Public Serious Bodily Injury. 

SAPD urges parents to be aware of their children’s social media activity. SAPD takes all threats seriously, and will make arrests whenever laws are broken.

Volusia County, Florida

📢 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Update

The Susquenita School District is canceling school for all grades on Monday, Sept. 9, following threats made on social media, according to the School District Administration.

Here’s some good advice from Kelli Quincy

Warning.. some people may get butt hurt.. and I really do not care! 🤷‍♀️

All these stupid pointless trends going around these days.. how about start a trend that actually matters!!!

Y’all need to stop being friends with your kids and sit down and have a talk with them!

Make them aware school threats are not a joke, they are not funny and make them realize the consequences to these actions if they make these threats! Don’t be the parent that says, “My kid would never do that!”  🙄 Just have the damn talk!!!! 🤦‍♀️

I have attached a photo to help you with some facts and consequences to these actions. You don’t know what other kids are using as peer pressure. A lot of parents do not even know what their kids are doing most the day! 🤦‍♀️ Most these kids that make these threats and shoot up schools the parents say, “Thay was so quiet, I never thought they would do something like this.”

HAVE THE TALK!!! TODAY! When your kids get home from school sit them down and TALK to them! Tell them the facts! You are not their friend, step up and be their parent, the ADULT!!! We all need you to do this!!!! And listen to your kids for crying out loud! These kids are crying for attention and do not get any from home so they post stupid stuff to social media to get the attention they seek. Grow up and be the adult like we know you can be!

If you read this and have not/ do not talk with your kids, you are part of the problem! 🤷‍♀️

#BeAnAdult #learnTheFacts #stepup #growup #notafriend #knowledgeIsPower #stopthethreats #MakeSchoolSafeAgain #talktoyourkids

📢 Sewell, New Jersey Update

Woodbury Police have made an arrest for the school shooting threats posted on social media. We will continue to have an increased police presence in and around our Washington Township schools.

📢 Jackson/Rabun County Georgia Update

Jackson and Rabun Counties received a report of threats the last two days.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, a 12-year-old made threats against East Jackson Middle School.

Rabun County is reporting an arrest made on a 15-year-old for threats against Rabun County High School.

In that vein, the FBI and GBI released a statement on Friday regarding some of the threats on social media.

They reportedly deemed many threats as not credible and said that there is usually a rise in threats in the wake of a mass shooting.

#fbi #gbi #schoolthreats #schoolshooting

📢 NBC News Update

NBC News has learned from the alleged Georgia school shooter’s aunt that half an hour before the deadly shooting, his mother alerted the school to possible danger. Newly obtained audio from a 2024 interview with investigators reveals the father’s reaction to allegations that his son made shooting threats online in 2023. NBC’s Priscilla Thompson reports for TODAY.

Watch Video

My kids aren’t going to school tomorrow , with all these threats going around the RGV 💔 They will be safer with me who’s their mom , than with a teacher who cant protect over 10 students at the same time 😔 my babies lives are more important than school. Mis hijos no seran un juego, muchos menos sus vidas. I cant have something happen to them, & one day having them replaced like nothing, wont ever lose my babies over education.

Broward County Florida Update

In Florida, a 14-year-old high school student was arrested for “making written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting,” according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Jefferson County Alabama Update

Also Monday, both Center Point High School and Clay-Chalkville High School in Jefferson County were mentioned in a threatening message on social media. Police were also looking into an alleged threat at Huffman High School.

The threats are not believed to be credible and normal activities are ongoing.

What Can We Do?

From Midwest Melanie

Helping schools be safe (in reference to small town Nebraska and recent concerns)

Regarding school safety, security and threat assessment: All schools have different methods, procedures and protocols. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the UNL Public Policy Center have available resources.

Safety & Security
Prevention and preparedness are key. Schools across the nation follow different Standard Response Protocols (SRP), the NDE encourages all Nebraska schools to follow the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s protocol. https://iloveuguys.org
Protocols & descriptions can be found here: https://iloveuguys.org/downloads/SRP-K12-2021-Parent-Handout_EN.pdf
Continuous drills and exercises with staff and students work the muscle memory necessary to respond appropriately in moments of crisis.

Following the SRP, schools also should have a Standard Reunification Method (SRM) in place in the event that the school building needs to be evacuated and students need to be reunified with their parents. Sadly, most people’s minds go straight to a violent event in the school but here in Nebraska, we have to keep in mind other issues like the event of a natural disaster (tornado, fire) or even something such as a gas leak or electricity outage. There are many reasons for a school evacuation.
The “I Love U Guys” Foundation also has a Standard Reunification Method (SRM) that the NDE encourages schools to follow. Information on that can be found here: https://iloveuguys.org/The-Standard-Reunification-Method.html

In the “separate incident,” parents were told by their kids that something was wrong. Kids told stories of “Teachers being vigilant at doors, and kids being scared.” The school never reached out to tell parents something happened:

If schools are following their SRP, a “Secure” protocol call would be made. This means that there is a threat OUTSIDE of the building. It could be criminal activity in the area or even a dangerous animal on the playground. Everyone is to come inside the building and all access doors are locked. No one is allowed in the building and no one is allowed outside of the building. Inconvenient? Yes. But SAFE. Classes within the building go on as usual.

Students and staff are informed by an announcement:
“Secure! Get Inside, Lock outside doors.
Secure! Get Inside, Lock outside doors.”
“Students and staff, the school is currently in the Secure
Action due to [cause (criminal activity/dangerous wildlife)] in the neighborhood. No one is
allowed in or out of the building at this time. Stay inside
and continue with your day.”

A public announcement would then be made to stakeholders:
The Standard Response Protocol has been activated.
[School Name] has been notified of [state the activity occurring outside of the building]
As a precaution, we have placed the school in Secure. During the Secure action, all doors are locked and no one can leave or enter the building. [Modify for monitored entry and controlled release.] The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you further as soon as we have more information.

Once the threat has subsided, students and staff are informed by an announcement:
“The Secure is released. All Clear.
The Secure is released. All Clear.”
“Students and staff, the Secure is released. All clear.
Thank you for your assistance with making this Secure
work smoothly.”

Public Announcement to stakeholders:
The Standard Response Protocol was activated today.
Today [School Name] was notified of [state the activity occurring outside of the building]. As a precaution, we placed the school in Secure. The Secure status lasted [state the length of time in Secure]. All school operations have now returned to normal.
The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. We will continue to keep you informed about important concerns at our school.

*Controlled Release
An unresolved, but not directly evident, situation at the end of the school day may warrant a Controlled Release. During a Controlled Release, parents or guardians may be asked to pick up students rather than have them walk home. Buses may run as normal, but increased monitor-ing of the bus area should occur. There may be addition-al law enforcement presence.

ALL of this safety information is free and provided to school districts who follow the I Love U Guys Foundation protocol. It’s proven effective and the most amazing resource for schools! Just follow the guidelines. Know the actions, practice the actions. It keeps everyone safe, informed and educated about how the school will operate in the event of a disturbance. They are protocols so they cannot be changed.

The story of the “hit list”
Threat Assessment:
What is threat assessment (TA)? Exactly what it sounds like. If there is a threat to the school, a student, a staff member, anyone within our building, we immediately meet to investigate the threat and assess it.
Students are NOT the only threats in a school. It can be a parent, a staff member, a stakeholder, it can be anyone. Threats also don’t just happen inside school walls, they can happen outside school buildings and school time.
When a threat is reported, our schools have a core threat assessment team that convenes. The team includes the superintendent, the building principal, the building counselor, a member of law enforcement, the building licensed mental health practitioner (LMHP), a teacher of the student and the threat assessment director. Others may be invited (school nurse, etc.) but this is generally the people we need there 100%.
The investigation includes “Who is making the threat? What is the intensity of the threat? Why is it coming to school? Why is it happening here? What is their grievance? What level of concern do we have with this threat? How will we manage this threat?”

Here is a breakdown on Threat Assessment using the story, situation 1, using writings from a student stating violent acts against others as the example:

Threat is reported to school counselor: A student has a list with names of other students that they want to violently harm.
Counselor thanks informant for the information and encourages them to come forward with any other information that they hear. Their tip is appreciated and helps keep our schools safe.

Counselor contacts the TA Director and informs of the reported threat. The TA Director contacts all core TA team members to meet asap, within 1-2 hours maximum.
Counselor or Principal locates student with the writings and detains them in a safe place with supervision.
Students’ parents are called and informed that a threat assessment will be held. “Only information we have at this time is that the student has written a list intending harm on others. Law Enforcement will be assisting us in an interview of the student” Parents are welcome to attend the interview.
LMHP will conduct a suicide screening on the student. (this is a simple 6 question screening to help determine if this student is thinking about self harm)

Law Enforcement and school personnel request student provide writings that were reported. With reasonable suspicion, lockers and backpacks can be searched.
Interview is conducted and documented in detail
Student will remain at school until initial TA is completed.

TA Core Team convenes.
All factors of the student/threat are thoroughly examined and discussed including, past history, risk factors, and protective traits.
Team determines level of risk – Low or Moderate or High
An Action Plan is then developed which includes Safety/Mental Health Measures and Discipline/Monitoring.
Student and parents will be informed of the decision. Based on that decision, the student may be able to stay in school, may be suspended out of school, expelled, detained by police – the outcome depends on the level of risk.

After TA Plan
Counselor/Principal will contact parents of students on the list and explain the threat, the TA investigation and the consequences of the threat that was reported. Name of the student/threat will not be given out but info of the threat will be. Students on the list are encouraged to visit with the counselor about any concerns they have or anything they would like to talk about. Monitoring of these affected students can continue for months.
School Public Information Officer (the superintendent or principal) will release a statement to school stakeholders. “ABC School was made aware of possible threatening writings from a student. An investigation with ABC Law Enforcement and ABC Schools was conducted.The responsible student(s) will receive the appropriate consequences. We appreciate the tip from the reporter and encourage others to always report suspicious or concerning behavior. You can always make an anonymous report with the Safe2Help hotline.” <link>
https://www.safe2helpne.org

After Action Plans
The threat/risk will be monitored according to the TA Team’s decision in the assessment.
Victims of the risk will also be monitored. (Counseling, check-ins)

Say this student DID have a “hit list” and did admit that she was “just so mad at these kids because they bully her all the time, she’s sick of it and wants them to die”

A suicide screening was done – this is always done in our school with every TA, just as precaution due to the nature of violent threats. The suicide screening came back with no idications that the student wants to self harm.

The student has no past history so level of concern could be considered “Moderate”
If student had an extensive history of violence, level of concern would be considered “High”

Student would most likely receive an out of school suspension. Mandatory counseling and check-ins with a trusted adult in the school building upon returning from the suspension. Check-ins would include a backpack check first thing in the morning. There are a lot of different supports that can be put in place for these students and the same goes for the victims, there are a lot of supports that school can use.

Parents don’t really seem to care and go along with what the school says but they will not be providing any outside counseling. The school will assign the building counselor and school LMHP to schedule appointments with the student.

The continued monitoring of the student will continue and the TA team will meet weekly to follow up with the progress of both the student/threat and the victims.

This is just the tip of the mountain of resources available to schools. What a lot of schools face with safety/security and threat assessment is man power. The staff wear a lot of different hats. There’s a million different committees, meetings, etc., that force staff to work off contract hours and teacher burn out is a very real thing. Safety and Security, Threat Assessment are (or should be if not!) the top priority in schools these days. It’s incredibly scary but we must all know for a fact, that “IT CAN HAPPEN HERE”. And we must prepare for it.

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Sep 12, 2024 UPDATE

From Columbus, Nebraska Police

The Columbus Police Department early this morning, Sept. 12, 2024, cited an individual for making terrorist threats, and today continues to provide an increased law enforcement presence at schools to help provide a safe and secure environment following a situation that transpired earlier this week at Columbus Middle School.

Facebook cuts off the top of the press release, but you can read it in full on the City’s website!
⬇⬇⬇⬇
https://www.columbusne.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1689

#PowerandProgress #ColumbusNE #ColumbusNebraska #CityGovernment #Schools #Nebraska

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From Volusia County, Florida

https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1835805053514661997?t=ZFxNJHayOnSUHXmXnfFiKQ&s=19