Jackson County authorities deal with alleged school threat

RIPLEY, W.Va. — Students, teachers, and parents will notice an increased law enforcement presences around Jackson County Schools today. School officials said they are making the move out of an abundance of caution after what was initially described as a credible threat was made on Twitter.

Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger said the threat originated in the state of Texas and did not appear to be directed at any school in West Virginia. However, a student in Jackson County shared the threat with law enforcement out of fear something might be imminent. The alleged threat took on a life of its own on social media, fueled by rumors and inaccurate information. According to Mellinger there was NO threat to any West Virginia Schools…but the law enforcement presence will be there as a precaution due to rampant rumors on social media.

A followup call to parents from Jackson County Superintendent Will Hosaflook indicated the confusion was created because the threat involved schools in Jackson County, Texas and not Jackson County, West Virginia.

Statement from Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger:

ALERT: Last night while most were asleep, the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) received a tip regarding a school shooting threat that had been posted online. This information was forwarded to the West Virginia State Police and further forwarded to the Jackson County E911 Center.
The 911 Center would then contact both county and state agencies within Jackson County.
Investigators within our department were able to obtain a copy of the aforementioned complaint and determined it to have been provided by a student within the Jackson County area. Investigators were then able to meet with the student and speak with them in reference to the tip they provided. The student advised that they had stumbled across this social media account and that they believed an attack was imminent. The student believed that the attack was to occur somewhere in the state of Texas. At no time did the student believe the threat was directed to any school within the state of West Virginia.
Throughout the investigation, it was determined that the tipster had identified a social media account in which an individual idolized the Uvalde school shooting. This individual / account holder was determined to have no known ties to Jackson County or the State of West Virginia.
This tip was forwarded to the Jackson County E911 center based solely on the location of the individual who provided the tip.
The information provided has been forwarded to the appropriate authorities in the state of Texas. This is how investigations work, and we also understand that this is how rumors get started. When these things surface, we take them very seriously and work the cases thoroughly and swiftly.
Based on the investigation’s entirety, there is NO threat whatsoever to any school(s) or students in Jackson County. In a continuing effort to build relationships and provide security and a safe learning environment, there will be an increased law enforcement presence today at schools across the county.

 





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