Officials with the West Plains Police Department and the R-7 School District have released information about threats made earlier this week and last week the West Plains Middle School.
On Friday, West Plains Police Officer Conner Burnes, school resource officer for West Plains Schools, issued a press release regarding an incident that took place Wednesday at the middle school, when it was reported a student had a gun and made threats toward other students. However, the statement said, investigation by the Howell County Sheriff's Department found the student did not have a gun in his possession at the time of the incident, though the sheriff's department is continuing its investigation. It was confirmed by school administrators and Burnes that the student did not have a gun, the statement continued.
The school district is following it policies regarding discipline in the matter, said the statement, and that was also reflected in an email sent to parents of students Wednesday evening by Superintendent Dr. Wes Davis.
The email said the student and his parents met with administrators, and law enforcement is involved in the investigation, but due to student privacy laws, the district could not discuss specific disciplinary measures.
Davis reminded district patrons that student and staff safety is a priority and such threats are taken seriously, with diligence that will continue.
Thursday evening, the West Plains Police Department received several reports of a social media post containing information on a possible threat to R-7 students and staff. A summary of the posts included a one shared with police by a community member that said a child brought a gun to school and threatened other children with it, and also indicated the child claimed friends would “finish the job,” police reported. Another post, summarized, directed people not to go to school because there might be a school shooting, police added.
The police department investigated the report of new threats and determined they were based on old information referring to the incident on Wednesday, and Davis again sent an email to parents Thursday night saying a student posted a threatening message that a community member took a screenshot of and shared with administration.
The email also encouraged parents to have a conversation with their families about the implications of such posting on social media and what to do if a student sees a threatening post, whether the threat is to other people or themselves.
A third statement shared with media by Burnes on Tuesday reported that shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, police received several new reports of a social media post with information on a possible school threat. The post, again summarized, reportedly showed an image of a hand holding a firearm with the caption, “This school is not ready for this.”
In that statement, police noted the image and caption stemmed from an incident out of state, and was traced to a West Plains Middle School student who took a screenshot of it and sent it out in a group chat.
A statement issued Monday evening by Davis indicated a report was made by a concerned parent regarding a security issue, and police investigation determined it to be a “fake threat,” further noting that the group chat in which the image was disseminated was on the SnapChat social media platform.
According to the press release issued by police, while investigation continues, officers have “no reason to believe that the West Plains School District is in any immediate danger,” and they remind community members that such information should be reported to law enforcement immediately, pledging to investigate reports to the fullest to ensure the safety of the students and community.
“We are grateful for our community’s dedication to the safety of our children,” said police. “We are also thankful for the West Plains School District’s cooperation in this matter.”
