ROGERS, Ark. — School districts in Arkansas are taking action in response to school threats circulating on social media.
The Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) and the Rogers Police Department (RPD) confirmed the social media threats do not name a specific school or district. FPD said there is no "current evidence of a legitimate threat." They also confirmed school districts throughout Arkansas are dealing with the same issue.
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Despite this, schools and law enforcement in the region are responding to these allegations by taking proactive measures.
"We are still treating this as a very serious matter, and we will continue to investigate," RPD said.
Fayetteville, Siloam Springs, Pea Ridge, and Sallisaw school districts are joining Rogers Public Schools in increasing their police presence at the schools "out of an abundance of caution."
Rogers
Rogers School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Perry stated that the district was aware of the threat "circulating on social media concerning Rogers High School." He also said the threat was "unsubstantiated" and connected to the threat made to Oakdale Middle School on Monday, Sept. 10.
5NEWS spoke to Perry, who said a screenshot of a social media post threatening a shooting at school began circulating amongst students throughout the state on Monday, causing confusion and concern.
"It was determined that the original threat was not credible, did not identify any school, and was not specific to Rogers Public Schools," Perry said. "There was never a threat against Rogers public schools until a particular kid identifying themselves with a school ended up posting something."
Perry said these threats happen often, but they typically don't make it into the public because they're handled behind the scenes. He encourages parents to have conversations with their students not only about what they post but also what they repost because it can get them into serious trouble.
Pea Ridge
"Due to news circulating on media outlets and social media concerning threats to schools and out of an abundance of caution, Pea Ridge School District will have an increased police presence today from the Pea Ridge Police Department," the Pea Ridge School District announced on Facebook.
Siloam Springs
Meanwhile, Siloam Springs School District said it has "fully investigated and will continue to investigate ALL matters" brought to its attention. SSSD assures that "nothing is taken lightly, especially in the light of recent national events." School officials said that so far, their investigations have led to "no credible threat" and are just rumors.
"We remain committed to examining all information shared with us to ensure the safety of our students and staff," said SSSD.
Fayetteville
Fayetteville Public Schools also addressed the concerns and said they are working closely with the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) to monitor the situation.
"We will always take every threat seriously and work to verify their credibility," said FPS.
FPD released a statement saying there is "no current evidence of a legitimate threat" and will continue to investigate.
Sallisaw
A school district in Oklahoma also said they increased security due to unfounded threats. Sallisaw Public Schools said they received a tip through their anonymous reporting app STOPit that a potential threat was made against Sallisaw Middle School on Monday evening.
Superintendent Steve Barrett said the district followed all safety protocols and worked closely with campus police and the Sallisaw Police Department.
"We are pleased to inform you that the threat has been fully resolved, and there is no ongoing danger to students or staff," Barrett said.
Out of caution, the district did heighten security measures on Tuesday. However, Barrett said that "at no point was there an imminent danger to any students or staff."
No further details have been released at this time, but 5NEWS will keep you updated with the latest.
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