Police arrested a Franklin Community Middle School student accused of threatening another student on Wednesday.
Though Franklin police and school officials agreed the threats were credible, there was no danger to students, said Robin Betts, a spokesperson for the district.
The threat was to shoot a specific student and gay students in general, according to a Franklin Police Department report.
The threat was made on Tuesday and reported on Wednesday, the report shows.
The student was at school when the threat was reported. A teacher removed the student and her belongings from class following the report, and she was searched and interviewed about the threats, Betts said.
No weapons were found on her or in her belongings, she said. The police report indicates the student has access to a gun at her home, which made the threat more credible.
Administrators, school resource officers and Franklin police officers interviewed the student and her parent and decided to remove the student from school, Betts said.
The student was arrested on a charge of intimidation and taken to the Dickinson Juvenile Justice Center in Franklin, said Kirby Cochran, Franklin police chief.
This threat was different than several other threats reported earlier this week and late last week, as this threat was against a specific student rather than a general threat to do harm, Cochran said.
“The Franklin Police Department and the Franklin Community School Corporation take all threats of violence seriously, and will investigate each case individually and thoroughly. The safety of the students and faculty is of paramount importance,” Franklin police said in a statement. “Threats of harm to others or violence at any level will not be tolerated. Further, any and all threats deemed credible will be forwarded to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office for review of potential charges.”
Franklin police will maintain a presence at Franklin schools until the end of the semester, Cochran said.
