General Social Media Threat Toward Schools Found to be Viral Threat Started in Kentucky
This afternoon, the East Valley School Resource Deputy Brunner began receiving reports of a social media threat that was being spread on Snap Chat. The threat did not mention a specific school or even the Spokane area but concerned students alerted parents who began reporting the threat to law enforcement and school officials.
Deputy Bruner, working closely with East Valley Staff, began to investigate the general social media threat. They traced this exact threat back to its origin, a high school in Louisville Kentucky.
Because this viral social media threat is general and does not name a specific school, it has been spread from Kentucky, making its way to Spokane Valley, the City of Spokane, Spokane County, and at least one other county in Washington.
Due to some specifics linked to the high school in Kentucky, investigators and school officials do not believe there are any safety concerns locally associated with this viral social media post. Law Enforcement Officials in Louisville Kentucky are aware of this threat and confirmed this same threat originated in their area and they are working with their school officials to address it.
We thank our local students and parents who correctly reported this threat immediately.
We would ask all parents to please talk to their school-aged children about threats made on social media and the need to report these threats immediately and not forward them on to others. This is an example of a threat going viral, making it across the Nation spreading concern and fear because some initially spread it to other groups which continued to intensify making its way to our area.