School Shooting Threat Deemed Uncredible

The impact and implications of Monday’s threat for ACSD

Alix Nath, Senior Editor

September 9, 2024

A police car stands posted outside the Atlantic High School on Monday, September 9, as a result of increased police security following the school shooting threat.

Allison Berryhill

Students entering an ACSD building on Monday, September 9, will have noticed an intensified police presence. This is a response to a threat posted to TikTok on Sunday, September 8. This threat was allegedly made by a 12-year-old Atlantic Middle School student against two of the buildings within the district, according to a press release by the Atlantic Police Department. After investigation, this threat was deemed not credible by the APD.

Staff at AHS addressed the threat on Monday during their seminars. New English educator Mrs. Griffen-Uren thought having to address the threat was “uncomfortable.” Griffen-Uren said that threats such as the one on Sunday “tarnish that sense of security” students and staff have within a school environment. Griffen-Uren believes that “it is important for students to understand what to do” in the event of a shooting.

Taking School Shooting Threats Seriously

Atlantic Police Department Press Release

The Atlantic Police Department sent out a press release on Sunday, September 8 in regards to a threat made against the school district. The release informed about the threat and the repercussions that followed. (Atlantic Police Department)

A threat was made against the Atlantic Community School District on September 8, 2024. The threat on social media ws made against two of the four ACSD buildings.

After investigation, it was deemed not credible by the Atlantic Police Department. However, due to the disruption caused to the school district as a whole, the 12-year-old who posted the online threat has since been taken into custody.

Due to the intensity of the threat, the entirety of the Atlantic Community School District will have a "heightened presence" of police within the different buildings this week.

Atlantic Community School District Handbook's stance on Threats

The Atlantic High School Handbook has a section on threats, which is able to be viewed on pages 53 and 54 of the book. This Handbook is set in place to help students understand the expectations within their school. (AHS Handbook)

The Atlantic Community School District has rules set in place to keep their students safe. The handbook is divided into many sections, including one on threats.

The first line in the Atlantic High School Handbook's section on threats states, "Threats made by students toward other students and/or adults and suggest the use of weapons, loss of life or other illegal activity is unacceptable in a school environment." This statement is put into place in order to halt students from making threats, as well as following through with any already made.

The handbook also provides repercussions which will be used if a student is to make a threat. This is broken down into seven steps:

Administration will interview students/adults to confirm that the threat actually happened.
Once confirmed, law enforcement may be involved in the investigation.
The administration will contact parents.
If involved, law enforcement will assess intent and share their findings with the administration. Law enforcement will determine the charge, if any, based on their investigation.
The student will be suspended from school pending the results of the investigation.
If the findings reflect no intent to inflict harm, the student will be suspended until the above conditions have been met with additional time added, if they have not served the equivalent of 3 days.
If findings reflect that the student(s) pose(s) a continuing threat to the safety of students and adults, the administration will call for a Board hearing with a recommendation of expulsion for a minimum of the balance of the semester.

The Importance of Taking Threats Seriously

Data collected by the Educator’s School Safety Network displays the number of threats made against schools in contrast with the number of school shootings which actually occurred. (Educator’s School Safety Network)

According to a 2023-2024 analysis provided by the Educator's School Safety Network, "The number of threats in a given school year has decreased longitudinally, however the rate of violent incidents has increased during that same time period." This means that although threats of violence have decreased over time, instances of actual violence have increased.

The Educator's School Safety Network proposed that the number of online threats may not have actually decreased, and in contrast may have increased over this time. This is due to the number of threats made annually on social media which are not deemed credible. However an alternative option the network provides is how due to the responses which have been taken against prior threats, people are less likely to make threats because of a worry about increased repercussions.

Finally, the Educator's School Safety Network displayed data on threat frequency. This data states how "while swatting and false reports have dramatically decreased, the trend line over time indicates that violent incidents in schools continue to increase year to year at a significant rate."

Frequency of Live Shootings Across the Country in 2023

Information about 2023 school shootings across the United States are displayed on the Education Week website. The website contains information about details pertaining to each shooting, such as the location and injuries which occurred. (Education Week)

Data configured by Education Week over the course of 2023 displays the frequency and fatalities that occurred within the year due to school shootings.

Education Week furthers into details about the schools affected, including the injuries and deaths which occurred. The site displays the following statistics:

38 School shootings with injuries or deaths

63 People killed or injured in a school shooting

21 People killed

15 Students or other children killed

6 School employees or other adults killed

42 People injured

This information was gathered by Education Week over the course of the 38 school shootings which occurred within 2023. Although the number decreased from the 51 shootings which resulted in injuries and death in 2022, Education Week still defines the shootings as "terrifying to students, educators, parents, and communities."

The Significance of Speaking up

The FBI provides information on precautionary measures able to be taken after a school shooting threat occurs. These measures are applicable by schools in order to keep all their students safe within the district. (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation breaks down the importance of analyzing any and all threats which can occur prior to a school shooting.

The FBI is able to inform on precautionary steps a school could take in the instance of a shooting threat. This can involve assessing the motivation behind the threat as well as the environment that a possible assailant could be experiencing prior to making the threat.

Understanding the background behind the threat, a school district is able to analyze the situation to decide where the threat lands between low and high levels of possibility, which allows for preventative measures to be taken.

The threat was noticed on social media by students and parents. Junior Claire Comer said, “I did see the post online.” She thought that posting it “was more immature, and just like a really stupid thing to post,” she said. Comer also said how “I feel like it should have been addressed sooner, before the threat even started. But I also feel like overall it’s a really scary topic and it’s overall insane that we have to talk about it.”

The original post stated that the proposed shooting was to be carried out at “exactly 8:00 am central time” within two buildings of ACSD. However, students and staff were able to attend school on the morning of Sept. 9 due to the detaining of the student responsible for the threat.

Students across AHS analyzed the issue of school shooting threats. Senior Zoey Auten said, “I don’t fully feel safe.” Auten has siblings who attend the primarily threatened buildings. “Having them be the target of that doesn’t make me want to drive them there,” she said. Auten believes that “no threats should happen,” as well as that “it shouldn’t have gotten that far.”

Though the posed threat has passed, students and staff alike should remain aware of suspicious activity and report any similar threats to the school administration and Atlantic Police Department. Increased police presence will also be in place at the schools across the district.

[5:33 a.m. 9/10/24] Minor edits for clarity were made to the original posting of this article.