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OREM — Police investigated an unfounded threat of violence against Timpanogos High School that circulated on Snapchat Thursday night.
Students at the school saw a post from a 17-year-old girl around 5 p.m. and immediately notified parents, the Alpine School District and Orem police, according to a Facebook post from the Orem Police Department.
Officers identified and interviewed the student and determined the post was not a credible threat. The student has no access to any firearms but was immediately suspended from school, police said. She may also be charged with a misdemeanor.
There was an increased police presence at the school Friday to ensure the safety of the students and faculty.
“There will be appropriate school and legal action taken because we will always take seriously any threat to student safety,” read an email that appears to be sent from Timpanogos High School Principal Joe Jensen. “We will always strive to create an environment where all students feel valued, accepted, respected and safe.”
The Orem Police Department urges parents to talk to their children about posting threatening messages to social media. Officials will investigate and take appropriate action whether the student is joking or not, police said.
Timpanogos High School is the fourth Utah school in a week to report similar threats of violence.
A Springville High School student was arrested Thursday on suspicion of making a terroristic threat after police said he sent a social media post that suggested a threat of violence at the school.
The student sent the post on Snapchat around 5 a.m., according to an emailed statement from Springville Police Lt. Warren Foster. The student told police the post was just a joke when officials found him at school the same day.
He was booked into Slate Canyon Detention Center following an interview and investigation.
A Wasatch High School student was taken into custody Wednesday night after a classmate notified authorities that the student had threatened gun violence on social media.
Officers do not believe there is a remaining threat to student safety but urge students to “say something” if they “see something,” according to a Facebook post from Heber City police.
A student at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy posted a comment on social media Tuesday, threatening to shoot up the school after a friend was allegedly expelled from the school, according to Sandy Police Sgt. Jason Nielsen.
The student could be cited and may face discipline from the school district, Nielsen said.
Several high schools in Idaho have also received similar threats, while misleading rumors have prompted police investigations.
A rumor circulating at Rigby High School Thursday claimed that one of the students was going to cause harm, according to a Facebook post by the Jefferson County Idaho Sheriff’s Office. Deputies ultimately determined the rumor to be completely unfounded.
School and law enforcement officials at Minidoka County schools received a fourth gun violence threat Wednesday that was shared on social media, according to the Idaho State Journal. The threats do not appear to be credible either.
Officials in Declo, Idaho, also dealt with social media threats for the fourth day in a row after searching for a bomb following a false threat, according to the Times-News. About half the students in the school district were absent Wednesday.
The threats follow the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died after a former student opened fire during the school day.
