TULSA, Okla. — According to the Tulsa Police Department (TPD), a confirmed social media threat was made on Instagram, saying someone was planning to shoot up Will Rogers High School on Tuesday.
TPD school resource officers and Tulsa Public Schools security will be on-site Tuesday, according to TPD. "Several" officers will be on campus, and officers in the rest of the division will be on "high alert" throughout the day patrolling the area.
Tulsa Police say they believe it was a student who made the threat, and their parents reported it.
Tulsa Police are treating the threat as credible as the investigation continues. Will Rogers High School made a social media post about the threat on Saturday evening:
"We received information about an alleged social media threat that may involve our school. We treat every alleged threat as credible until we have fully determined otherwise," according to a statement on Will Rogers High School's Facebook page. "In addition to partner law enforcement agencies, this process involves our Campus Police, facilities and operations staff, school leaders, and district leaders. We will always err on the side of keeping our school community safe. Presently, TPS Police and TPD are investigating the credibility of this threat."
An official with Tulsa Public Schools released a statement about the ongoing investigation Tuesday afternoon:
Tulsa Public Schools Campus Police team is working with the team at Will Rogers College Junior High and High School to investigate an alleged threat made on social media. We treat every social media threat as credible until we have fully determined otherwise. In addition to partner law enforcement agencies, this process can involve a number of team members including Campus Police, school leaders and their teams, facilities and operations staff, and district leaders at minimum.
We urge parents and families to talk with their children about the importance of good digital citizenship and the severity of the potential consequences for bad decisions made online. Regardless of the original intention of the post – whether it was a joke or an expression of frustration – students who make threats on social media can face long term suspension, arrest, and even criminal charges.
We also encourage all families to report any threats or rumors that have the potential to create an unsafe situation by calling our See. Hear. Share. hotline at 918-480-7233 or 918-480-SAFE. This hotline is monitored continually. All threats will be investigated by the police.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
