9.12.24 – LITTLE ROCK (KATV)
Numerous school districts across the Natural State received threats Thursday morning and Wednesday night, prompting increased police presence.
The Mayflower Police Department released a new statement around noon on Sept. 12 regarding the threats to the Mayflower School District.
Numerous school districts across the Natural State have received threats Thursday morning, prompting increased police presence. (PHOTO: Mayflower Police Department Facebook)
In a post to their Facebook page, the Mayflower Police Department says that they have been made aware of possible threats against Mayflower schools.
In the post, Mayflower Police say that they are investigating all possible leads with the help of School Resource Officers.
Police say that at this time, there is no evidence of a legitimate threat to our schools. They also say that they will bring increased police presence to the schools.
Anyone with knowledge of the threats is urged to contact police at 501-470-1000 or dial 911 in case of emergency.
Mayflower Chief Dougles Hunter said they interviewed several juveniles who either heard or reported hearing about the threat
Hunter said they told authorities it was a list of schools circulating the internet but couldn’t produce a picture of said list.
Hot Springs School District also mentioned in their statement of a “list of ‘schools to shoot'”.
“There was nothing we could look at,” said Hunter. “There were no text messages, videos, no recordings of any type that we could follow up on. We never saw a list and nobody was able to provide us with anything like a list, not even a screenshot that they might have seen.”
Even though the threat was determined to not be credible, they will still continue to investigate and increase security at the schools.
“We did take it seriously. We have been in contact with the schools, superintendent and the principals last night,” said Hunter. “We came together and made a game plan and got some other assisting agencies to help us this morning because we are a small department.We didn’t want to take the chance on something happening and us be behind the curb on it. We’re going to follow up on every possible lead.We are going to use every piece of technology that we have available to further the investigation. If we find anything credible, we are going to pass on and ask for resources that we might not have to come to a successful conclusion.”
Dr. Nihit Kumar, a Psychiatrist with Positive Recovery, said the continued increase in threats can affect mental health for student, staff and parents.
“People when they are faced with a situation like this, no matter how much they have heard about the situation, so much information is coming out so quickly and so much is unknown about the situation,” said Kumar.
In turn, causing a disruption in learning.
“You’re so focused on keeping yourself safe, your learning will be affected not just for the time being but on an ongoing basis if this is not addressed appropriately,” said Kumar.
So while investigations continue across the state, what can you do to address any fears.
Kumar said keeping communication open is key.
“The idea is to encourage their thoughts, their feelings, and their fears to come forward. That will allow them to talk about what they are fearful of and really open up,” said Kumar. “Are they fearful about their friends, their own safety, their parents, their teachers, whatever it may be and then address that with them. Again, open lines of communication and clear communication. This does involve a little bit of trauma-informed care training for both schools and parents. If you can access those resources, and there are many of those resources available online, that can help adults as well.”
Hot Springs
In a post to their Facebook page, the Hot Springs Police Department says that they are aware of social media posts referring to a threat of potential school violence.
Police say that all law enforcement personnel in the area are collaborating to investigate the matter and determine whether there has been an actual threat, and if so, the source of the threat.
Authorities say there will be an increased police presence in schools as this investigation is conducted.
Police ask that anyone with knowledge of the threats come forward with information.
Cleveland County
The Cleveland County Sheriff’s office shared a post by Woodlawn High School saying that there was a potential threat by one of their students made to another school.
The school says that they are working with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the threat, and that the student has been taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Office.
KATV reached out to the Arkansas Department of Education to ask how they plan to address the threats happening statewide.
The department responded with the following statement:
School safety is a primary concern for both the department and districts. When an environment is unsafe or threatened, critical instruction and learning stops. We are working with districts to implement additional safety measures stressed through LEARNS, and we also have been in contact with districts about the threats they are receiving. We have offered our support, and our Safe Schools Unit stands ready to assist, offer guidance, and provide resources wherever needed.
Additionally, KATV reached out to the FBI Little Rock office, who provided the following statement:
FBI Little Rock cannot comment on a specific incident, however, the FBI takes potential threats very seriously. We work closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action. As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.
This is an ongoing story. KATV has received reports about threats made in other school districts and is actively working to confirm them. Updates will be provided as they become available.