Three threats were made to schools in the Belton School District within three days, according to Superintendent Andrew Underwood.
A 17-year-old Belton High School student is accused of threatening to shoot his classmates because he was upset about the Super Bowl results.
The teen posted the threat on his Snapchat story around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the probable cause statement. The student told police he believed about 50 people saw the Snapchat message before he took it down after 15 minutes.
If you want to read the full statement made by the student you can find the full probable cause statement here.
There were more police officers at Belton High School on Monday following the threat.
The Belton School District sent the following message after the threat:
Parents and Guardians of Belton School District students,
Late last night, a high school student posted a threatening message on Snapchat. A community member wisely took a screenshot of this message and shared this with the appropriate people. The school and police were then notified. The Belton Police Department acted quickly and were able to apprehend the student within a couple of hours. (If the police had NOT been able to place the individual into custody, the District would have notified all parents and guardians of the situation before school started today). Since the student was from the high school, the Belton Police Department decided to have an increased presence there this morning as a precaution. Safety is our #1 priority and we take all threats seriously.
We encourage you to use this incident as an example and have a conversation with your family about the implications of posting to social media, as well as what to do if a student notices another person's posts on any social platform are threatening the safety of others or themselves.
Some suggestions:
1. Similar to what we hear when traveling: If you see something, say something -- to a parent, a Belton School District staff member, the police, or a trusted adult. Individuals can even report concerns & submit images via the Tips & Treasures icon in our app.
2. Take screenshots, learn how to block individuals, and report the situation as necessary to the app/website developers.
3. When posting, students need to remember -- regardless of the activated security settings within social media accounts, what is written is "out there" once it's posted. Be responsible and thoughtful; what you post can have serious and long-lasting implications on your present and future.
For more support, visit the FTC Consumer Information page regarding Kids and Socializing Online.
Sincerely in Education,
Dr. Andrew Underwood
Superintendent of Schools
Underwood said a second high school student posted the threat on Facebook and has also been placed in custody.
There was also a threat made by a student at Belton Middle School. Underwood said the threat was verbal and details were not available because the student is a minor.
Underwood said some students are scared following the threats.
“Just creates a climate of fear in your school system, and so therefore obviously that affects education. It’s a distraction for our students and school,” Underwood said, “So we have to deal with it swiftly.”
The district sent out messages to parents and staff after the threats and is talking to students and parents about the incidents.
“The next piece is to once again go back and educate and to have our parents help us reinforce that with their children of things they should or should not say or communicate,” Underwood said.
The superintendent said none of the students accused of making threats were on campus Wednesday, and there will be a review process on how to discipline them. He also said he doesn’t discourage parents from keeping their children home if they fear for their safety, although attendance was around 90 percent Wednesday morning.
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