This morning at roughly 8:30 a.m. Twin Falls School District administrators were made aware of a threat made on social media toward Twin Falls High School. In coordination with the Twin Falls Police Department, they immediately began an investigation. TFHS was placed in a lockdown while the situation was investigated to ensure the safety of the students. TFPD dispatched officers who began arriving on campus at roughly 8:35. Sawtooth Elementary School was also placed in a soft lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Early in the morning, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of students to cancel classes for the day, and a plan was made to dismiss students in an organized and staggered fashion. However, as administrators began enaction this plan, more information became available to the Police Department and they asked that students be held in the building. Parents received two notifications back to back of the plan to release students and the subsequent need to keep students in the building. Parents were asked to not come to the school campus to ensure that there would be no interference with the necessary police action. The TFSD appreciates the patience and understanding parents illustrated in a stressful situation.
The Twin Falls Police Department took a juvenile male TFHS student into custody for making threats at roughly 11:55 a.m. No weapons have been found on the TFHS campus. No one was injured during this situation. The TFPD and Twin Falls County Sheriffs Department will work with the TFSD Administration and continue the investigation to ensure that no other individuals were involved. No formal charges have been made as the investigation is still underway. As always, we cannot disclose information about the individual student or the disciplinary action they will receive but we can assure you we will follow our policy as it relates to this incident. In addition, we cannot release information about the nature of the threat due to the ongoing investigation.
TFSD administration encourages parents to talk with your student about this incident and remind them that if they see or hear anything that might endanger the safety of our schools to report it immediately. We are grateful for those who reported the threat on social media so that law enforcement could take immediate action. Students who are feeling any anxiety or stress should contact their school counselor or a trusted adult. There will be school at TFHS tomorrow, December 10.
The TFSD works closely with local law enforcement to maintain a safe educational environment for our students. Thank you to the Twin Falls Police Department and the Twin Falls County Sheriffs Department for their quick response and cooperation in regards to this incident.