Local Law Enforcement Agencies Respond To School Threats
By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Local law enforcement agencies investigated and assisted with several school-specific targeted threats on Friday, Dec. 17.
Per a statement from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, “a social media threat targeting Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation and Warsaw Community Schools was reported to authorities on Friday, Dec. 17. In conjunction with the respective educational administrators, school resource officers and the Warsaw Police Department, detectives are actively investigating the matter.”
According to several state and national news agencies, a social media post circulated nationwide, primarily on the video app TikTok, in which it alleged multiple planned school shootings would occur on Dec. 17. WCS responded to the nationwide threat in a press release on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Also on Friday, students at Wawasee High School were sent home following a morning lockdown. The lockdown was in response to a threat made specifically toward Wawasee High School on the social media app Snapchat. KCSO and the Syracuse Police Department assisted with releasing students from the school.
Warsaw Police Department also posted a release from WCS regarding recent events to their social media page.
“We wish to thank all of you who have been reaching out and tipping us to these threats,” said WPD’s social media post. “It is through community involvement and cooperation that we stay ahead of these unfortunate situations.”
“Thank you Edgewood (Middle School) parents and students for your diligence in reporting potential threats to the school,” reads a statement from WCS. “We are aware of a Snapchat threat directed toward Edgewood and (Tippecanoe) Valley that listed specific student names that are not Edgewood students. We are working with Tippy Valley administration and student resource officers as well as local law enforcement and will prosecute any threats to the fullest extent of the law. As a reminder, please have conversations with your students this weekend about the proper use of social media.”
