Dozens of schools have received threats this month. Minco, Moore, McAlester and Waurika canceled classes or locked down their schools due to threats. Other schools to report incidents include Piedmont, Norman, Enid, Yukon, Putnam City and Edmond.
The Oklahoma City Police Department said on social media 65 threats have been made in the metro area since the school year began, and it has submitted felony charges against suspects to the District Attorney’s office. It said the penalty for a person convicted of a terrorism hoax is a prison sentence of up to 10 years per charge and reimbursement costs for investigations.
At Tulsa Public Schools, a spokesperson told StateImpact threats have been received at a majority of secondary sites.
At a Thursday afternoon press conference, TPS Superintendent Ebony Johnson said beginning after fall break in mid-October, the district will implement bag checks, wanding and walk-through detectors every day at all middle and high schools. Johnson said it will take until then to get procedures and resources in place.
Johnson said some school sites are choosing to implement a clear-bag policy.
Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen said while every threat is investigated, not every threat is publicized.
“Because what we have seen is that a lot of threats come in not only from outside the state of Oklahoma, but even outside the U.S., from the European continent,” Larsen said. “With one… desire only, and that’s to disrupt the school system.”
Larsen said Sunday evening, a parent notified authorities of a threat made by a student about bringing a gun to Tulsa Memorial High School. The FBI obtained the IP address, and police arrested the student. Larsen said while “99%” of threats turn out to be false, any individuals making threats can expect consequences.
“If you’re in the City of Tulsa, or you’re in Oklahoma, and you threaten the safety of our schools, our school children… expect a visit from the Tulsa Police Department, along with federal partners, along with the police department from that public school jurisdiction or that private school,” Larsen said. “And we will act on it. We will investigate. And we will prosecute.”
Larsen called on parents to actively monitor their children’s belongings and social media.
“The best thing we can do is be parents. Know where your children are. Know what they’re posting on social media. Know what’s in their bedroom, what’s in their cars,” Larsen said. “You’re a parent. Be a parent.”
State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a statement Tuesday, calling the threats “utterly unacceptable.”
“Our agency is coordinating efforts with local districts and law enforcement,” Walters said. “We are making all resources available and will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure our students’ safety and security.”
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety issued a news release Thursday saying the Oklahoma School Security Institute has been working with the Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center to examine threats and share information with local, state and federal partners.
“Many of the threats this week originated outside of Oklahoma and are just now circulating in Oklahoma and impacting our schools,” the release said. “Although these threats were deemed not credible, it remains as important as ever for the public to report suspicious activity, threats or tips. … It is imperative for members of the public to notify authorities of threats and avoid reposting or sharing threatening posts before law enforcement has the chance to investigate.”
Suspicious activity can be reported on the ProtectOK app, by texting “OKS Threat” to 226787, or by calling the OSSI tipline at 405-425-7299.
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