KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bishop Ward, Wyandotte, Schlagle and Harmon High Schools are among those named in a shooting threat, according to a letter sent to Bishop Ward parents.
"Bishop Ward is one of several local schools named in an anonymous message threatening gunfire at school buildings this afternoon," the letter from school President Jay Dunlap said.
In an interview Tuesday with KSHB 41 News, Dunlap said many parents picked their students up from Bishop Ward early on Tuesday.
The threat made against the schools may be connected to a different threat made against Wyandotte High School and a shooting on Friday that killed two teenagers.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Kansas City Kansas Schools said only 900 students out of 1,900 were in attendance.
"You may be aware that Wyandotte High School had to deal with a similar threat yesterday. It appears these threats are related to the shooting over the weekend of two teenagers at a gathering on Southwest Boulevard," Dunlap said in the letter.
He said the school has been working with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department and there will be additional officers on campus.
"The threat reportedly says shooting will happen after dismissal time," Dunlap said. "We have additional police support here on campus through the rest of the day."
According to the letter, students came forward to make the school aware of the threat. A spokesperson for Bishop Ward confirmed that students saw an anonymous Instagram post that contained the threat.
"Thanks be to God that most threats are idle threats, but you can't take them that way anymore, you have to deal with them seriously and that's what we've been trying to do," Dunlap said.
Dunlap said despite the threat, the school is safe.
"Officer Kohrs and the police assure us that the safest place for all of us right now is here at school where everyone is protected," he said. "We understand this information is disruptive for all of us, but let us please do our best to stay calm and go about our business while keeping an eye out for anything unusual."
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