School officials and law enforcement have been bombarded with threats of violence against schools in the St. Louis region over the past two weeks. Although only one of these threats has proven credible, authorities are taking them all seriously.
Here’s what we know about these threats and their toll on students, teachers and law enforcement.
How many threats have there been?
Since St. Louis Public Radio began keeping track about two weeks ago, we have learned of at least 20 of these threats. There are likely more that either haven’t been reported or that we have yet to see.
How many of these threats have been credible?
So far, just one. Police said they found a former Ritenour High School student with a loaded gun in the parking lot of the district’s Husky Academy on Tuesday. The teen is being held in the St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Center, and his parents also face charges of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.
Police arrested another juvenile in East St. Louis on Wednesday in connection with a threat against the high school there, but there was no indication the person intended to act on that threat.
What impact are these threats having on students trying to learn?
Many of these schools have either canceled classes or held them virtually while law enforcement investigated the threats. Ritenour Superintendent Chris Kilbride said after Tuesday’s incident that educators, staff and families are tired.
“It’s extremely difficult. I hear each day the level of concern that people have for their children as they come to school,” Kilbride said. “I just wonder, at what point can we all commit to having a better reality for our students.”
What do we know about who is making these threats?
The juvenile arrested with a loaded gun at Ritenour was a former Ritenour student. In a couple of other cases, authorities have arrested local juveniles for making the threats, though they don’t appear to have been credible.
But in certain other cases, law enforcement believes that these threats are not being made by local people and that some are being made by people outside the country.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department held a press conference this week about some of the threats in its jurisdiction. What did they have to say?
Spokesperson Mitch McCoy stressed that anyone caught making threats will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He also said that rather than share screenshots of these threats on social media, people should immediately share them with law enforcement.
“You can only share something on social media so much before you’re actually not helping,” McCoy said. He added: “Call the police too, call 911, that is an emergency.”
Where should students and families share any threats that they become aware of?
People can submit anonymous tips about school violence concerns through the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Courage2Report tip line or through the mobile app, by text or by calling 1-866-748-7047.
In Illinois, people can report threats through the Safe 2 Help tip line. Concerns can be reported via phone, text, web, email or mobile app.
School districts have also encouraged students and families to contact their child’s school directly with any information about safety concerns. Some schools, including the Ritenour School District, also have tiplines on their websites.
