Screenshots of guns with threats were circulated on social media networks over the weekend. Johnson County police agencies have deemed the threats not credible and part of a string of vague regional threats circulating across Central Indiana. Provided photo
Johnson County schools are on alert after multiple non-credible threats circulated on social media over the weekend.
The Center Grove, Clark-Pleasant and Edinburgh school districts were notified of various threats circulating on social media over the weekend. The threats, however, are part of a string of vague regional threats circulating across Central Indiana and do not have credibility, officials from the school districts said. The threats came a week after Franklin schools also received non-credible threats relating to violence.
Over the weekend, two pictures from Snapchat of a firearm with captions warning of a school shooting on Monday were spread on social media.
One of the threats displayed a gun and mentioned “CPMS,” which is a commonly used acronym for Clark-Pleasant Middle School. However, police don’t believe this CPMS was necessarily the one where the post originated. The same social media post and several other copycat posts, which include screenshots of the threats, have referenced Clark-Pleasant Middle School and other schools throughout Central Indiana since Friday, Clark-Pleasant Police said.
Parents feared sending their children to school on Monday, though the threats were investigated and found to be non-credible by Edinburgh, Center Grove and Clark-Pleasant police. The photos ended up on the social media feeds of locals after they had been spread around the country. The image from the threat that made its way around the Center Grove school community first appeared on Reddit nearly three years ago in a group for AR-15 enthusiasts.
The Edinburgh threat stemmed from an edited list of schools that receive Title-1 funding in Cobb and Coffee counties in Georgia. The “Eastside Elementary” listed in the threat is not Edinburgh’s but a Marietta, Georgia school by the same name. People in the school community didn’t realize immediately that the threat was not local as the image doesn’t state it is a list of Georgia schools.
Schools across the nation are grappling with online threats in the weeks since the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, USA Today reported.
Schools across Central Indiana, including Perry Meridian, Lafayette and Bartholomew County received similar threats as well. An 11-year-old girl was arrested and taken to the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center as a result of the investigation into the threats in Columbus over the weekend, sister newspaper The (Columbus) Republic reported.
Last week, Indiana State Police investigated three separate school threats in unnamed districts, two of which led to the arrest and incarceration of juvenile defendants, ages 12 and 15, ISP officials said in a press release.
Local school officials reminded parents and students that resharing and reposting threats perpetuates the danger and stokes fear.
“Even when threats are not credible they can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students’ families and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about what is and is not appropriate when interacting online. The only action you or your student should take is to report the threat to the police, school administration or a trusted adult,” Clark-Pleasant said in an email to parents.
When parents see or hear of threats, the only action they should take is to report the threat to a police agency or through their online tip reporting system, officials said.
School officials also reassured parents of other safety measures they have in place. For example, every Center Grove staff member carries an alert badge that allows them to call for help with the click of a button. There are also more than 1,100 cameras inside and outside of the schools that are monitored throughout the day, the district said in a letter to parents.
No one locally has been arrested for making or spreading the threats. Since the threats are widespread online, state and federal law enforcement agencies are working with the Johnson County Prosecutors Office and local law enforcement. Schools will also consider disciplinary measures that may be applicable to students involved, officials said
“Rest assured, all local law enforcement agencies in Johnson County take these situations very seriously,” the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in social media post on the threats. “Our agencies maintain exceptional levels of cooperation and communication and are relentless in investigating any threat, no matter its nature, location or the people involved.”
Though no threats were made for the Greenwood school district, officials assured parents that the threats to the neighboring school districts were not credible and would not affect the district, according to an email sent to parents. Greenwood Schools encouraged parents to remain vigilant and report any concerns to local law enforcement and schools.
