School threats: Districts address rising concerns

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Independent School District and several other surrounding school districts are teaming up with the Travis County District Attorney's Office to address the rising concern about school threats.

At a news conference scheduled for 9:45 a.m., officials are expected to break down how they handle and investigate the threats along with the consequences for making or carrying out the threats.

The news conference comes as Hays CISD sent out an email to parents on September 19 about a threat against Chapa and Simon Middle Schools.

What threats were made against Hays CISD?

5 Hays CISD students arrested for threats

A new threat surfaced Thursday specifically naming two Hays CISD middle schools, says the district. Already five students have been arrested and charged related to recent threats.

New threats against two Hays CISD middle schools are under investigation, according to the district.

Hays CISD told FOX 7 Austin in an email that a new threat surfaced Thursday, Sept. 19, which specifically named Chapa and Simon middle schools and is now under investigation by the Hays County Sheriff's Office.

The district has also released a poster in an effort to put an end to the threats, imploring students to avoid "threat regret" and reminding them that posting a threat on social media will get them "for real arrested, fingerprinted and booked." The poster also directs students to report circulating threats to their school, the district, and the state.

Five Hays County students, ranging in age from 11 to 15, so far have been arrested and charged with various felonies related to the threats, according to the district.

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

Threats against Central Texas schools

Several school threats were made against Central Texas school districts, and parents are sharing their concerns.

The next day, the sheriff's office detained another sixth grader from Wallace Middle School, who is friends with the sixth grader from Simon Middle School.

Both sixth-graders are charged with the juvenile court equivalent of a state jail felony for making a false alarm or report.

A threat on Sept. 12 that named McCormick Middle School was forwarded by Snapchat 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 at the time the student did not have the means to carry out his threat, but admitted that he made one.

The district said Sept. 19 that in all of these cases, the investigations revealed the threats did not actually place any campuses in danger.

Other threats against Central Texas school districts

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.

In a Facebook post on September 12, Llano ISD says it learned of a post circulating on social media regarding potential violence at schools in Johnson City, Marble Falls, Llano and Blanco.

The situation is being investigated by Llano ISD Police Department, Granite Shoals PD, Marble Falls PD, Blanco County Sheriff's Department and the Texas Rangers.

Llano ISD says one person was taken into custody and officials increased law enforcement presence on its campuses on September 13. Llano ISD was already investigating a threat made on September 11.

Marble Falls ISD also increased law enforcement presence on its campuses.

Arrests made after CTX school threats

Students are not far into the new semester, and already, there has been an alarming amount of school threats made not just here in Austin, but across the state.

Meanwhile, Austin ISD said an arrest was made on September 12 in connection to a threat to Hill Elementary.

Recently, an Eanes ISD student was arrested after police were notified about a possible act of violence against another student or group of students.

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett says it came over Snapchat and was about a possible act of violence against another student or group of students.

Eanes ISD police immediately began investigating. Within just a couple of hours, they found there was some legitimacy to the threat. The student was identified and arrested.

Dime Box ISD also reported investigating an anonymous threat that happened on Monday, Sept. 9.