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3 Hays CISD students charged for spreading school shooting threat on social media

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Published  September 13, 2024 4:59pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 7 Austin

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - Two more middle schoolers from Hays CISD have been detained and charged for spreading violent threats against schools this week.

Hays CISD said, in total, this brings it up to three students to be charged in two separate social media threats.

"Law enforcement and district officials do not believe the Hays CISD students were responsible for or connected to the spate of social media threats that have been circulating in Texas and the rest of the country. However, they may have been influenced by them," Hays CISD said.

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School shooting threats in Central Texas

Llano ISD is the latest school district in Central Texas to report social media threats referencing school shootings. FOX 7 Austin's Jessica Rivera has the latest.

Simon Middle School threat

On Thursday, Sept. 12, a Hays CISD sixth grader was detained for spreading a school shooting threat on social media. This threat specifically named Simon Middle School.

The next day, the sheriff's office made another detention. A sixth grader from Wallace Middle School, who is friends with the sixth grader from Simon Middle School, was charged.

Now, both are charged with the juvenile court equivalent of a state jail felony for making a false alarm or report.

Authorities address threats against schools

Police arrested a Westlake High School student accused of making terroristic threats against those at the school. And, that is not the only threat being investigated in Central Texas this week.

McCormick Middle School threat

On Thursday, Snapchat directed a threat it detected that named McCormick Middle School to the FBI.

A sixth grader from McCormick Middle School was charged with the juvenile court equivalent of a third-degree felony of making a terroristic threat.

Hays CISD said the student did not have means to carry out his threat, but admitted that he made one.

"The district continues to appreciate the incredible skill and attention provided in these investigations by the Hays County Sheriff's Office, specifically the school resource officers (SROs) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID)," Hays CISD said.