Kansas law enforcement deal with string of school threats
Editor's note: We had incorrectly listed Jefferson County North as one of the districts with threats made against them. The correct district was Wamego Public Schools. The article has been updated to reflect the change. We apologize for the error.
KANSAS (KSNT) - Law enforcement in Kansas has been on high alert after a rash of school threats that have targeted at least 12 schools in the northeast Kansas area.
Six northeast Kansas school districts have had threats made against them recently, prompting some law enforcement agencies to heighten enforcement efforts.
Since Aug. 23, Nemaha Central Schools, Shawnee Heights Unified School District, Geary County Unified School District, Burlington Unified School District, Topeka Public Schools, Wamego Public Schools and the Kickapoo Nation School have dealt with threats against them.
Of the districts impacted, at least seven threats targeted middle schools, three targeted elementary schools and two targeted high schools. These threats only represent incidents within the northeast part of the state.
One local sheriff's office attributed the threats to a TikTok trend. On Sept. 11, the Junction City Police Department was made aware of threats circulating on TikTok against the Junction City Middle School. According to a social media post from Junction City Police, the threats stemmed from an apparent list of schools identified as targets for a potential school shooting.
According to The Associated Press, communities across the nation have been dealing with a rash of school shooting threats. In Florida, Sheriff Mike Chitwood of Volusia County posted the mugshot of an 11-year-old boy who was allegedly threatening to carry out a shooting at his middle school. The decision garnered both praise and criticism.
"These threats appear to be part of a concerning online trend not unique to USD 475. Similar threats have been reported in other districts across Kansas, as well as in states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida. JCPD is actively working with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to investigate the origins of this post fully and ensure the safety of our schools."
Statement excerpt from Junction City Police from Sept. 11
Action taken
In Wamego on Sept. 17, police responded to a threat after being informed of a group chat that mentioned violence to a school in the district. Police later found a photo of a firearm magazine was being shared by students in the community. The Wamego Police Department seized the magazine and confirmed there was no threat to students from the photo in question.
In Burlington, a threat from Sept. 12 was determined to not be credible. However, after consulting with the Coffey County attorney, and with recent incidents around the nation, the police department decided to detain the student.
On Aug. 30, an individual was arrested after police responded to reports of an active shooter threat at the Kickapoo Nation School in Powhattan. The incident prompted a police investigation.
On Sept. 18, the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office said it would be taking precautionary steps to prepare first responders in case of a crisis event. The sheriff’s office posted to social media that it would be holding an upcoming “Mass Casualty Drill” involving several first responder agencies at the area schools.
“Well with anything in life, it’s easier to do something the second or third time around,” Nemaha County Sheriff Richard Vernon told 27 News. “If it does happen, God forbid, it wouldn’t be a first time for anybody and in our minds we’d know how to do it.”
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