SURPRISE, Ariz. — Buckeye Union High School went under lockdown procedures Thursday out of precaution as local police investigated threats circulating online that appear to be targeting schools.
Buckeye police said a 13-year-old girl was arrested Thursday after officers received a tip about a school shooting threat. A student at Buckeye Union High School was also arrested Thursday for allegedly making a false report about a gun on campus.
The police department reported getting over 300 reports from concerned citizens within the past week about threats of school shootings.
Buckeye is not the only Valley community dealing with this type of issue at the moment.
The Dysart Unified School District advised students and parents that threats circulating online are false and not credible.
In a statement released Thursday, the Dysart school district said social media posts have been making potential threats toward various schools. But these posts have been linked to "identified hoaxes" seen in neighboring school districts.
The school district said local law enforcement does not believe these posts are credible and so campuses will remain open.
The El Mirage Police Department said it has received reports from some in the community concerned about the possible threats. Police wanted to reassure everyone that the "threats are not tied to our school, district, or city and that there is no known credible threat."
"These threats, circulating on various social media platforms, have been investigated and were determined to be false. Similar social media posts have been reported to neighboring school districts and linked to identified hoaxes on social media," police said in a post to X (formerly Twitter).
Any students found to be involved in making threats will be disciplined and possibly referred to law enforcement, the district warned.
Tempe Union High School District said Thursday it is working with law enforcement to investigate threats seen circulating on Snapchat.
"While the investigation is ongoing, it does not appear to be a credible threat," the Tempe district wrote in a statement. "Over 100 schools across Arizona have received similar posts, which seem designed to create fear and unrest specifically in school communities."
Since the recent deadly shooting at a school in Georgia, multiple law enforcement agencies throughout Arizona have reported investigating possible school threats.
"You never know what someone's intent is," James Englert, vice president of the National Association of School Resource Officers said.
Because of that, school officials and police can't completely discount a threat just because it appears unfounded.
"Unfortunately it's very normal to have a contagion effect," school security expert Dr. Kenneth Trump said. Trump is the president of the Nationla School Safety and Security Services.
The problem, Trump said, is that school officials need to address a potential threat without disrupting school, which may be the sole intent.
“School leaders need to assess and then react, not react and then assess," he said. "And you have to be prepared that if you assess and evaluate a threat not to be credible, to be able to heighten your security procedures."
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