Police investigate an apparent threat against Idaho Falls High School
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Parents of students at Idaho Falls High School received an alarming email this morning detailing an apparent threat to the school.
"I just saw like a lot of people were posting it on their stories and then like on Facebook, it was like everywhere," said Idaho Falls High School student, Madison.
Thursday night a Snapchat picture circulated the internet. It showed a hand holding what appeared to be a gun, with the caption "I'm tired of school don't go tomorrow for (IFHS)," students like Madison say she saw the post but went to school in fear.
"I was scared until like I got to school and then everyone was like, 'Oh, he's the police are at his house like he's taking care of the second day called,'" Madison said.
The apparent threat caught the attention of school administrators at around 8 a.m. Friday. They immediately contacted the Idaho Falls Police Department who was able to locate the student before he left for school.
"When we see anything like that, anything that appears suspicious we move really really quickly to investigate, and then as I said there are some serious consequences," said D91's director of communication, Margaret Wimborne.
During the investigation, police say they discovered the gun in the picture wasn't a real firearm, just an airsoft gun that shoots plastic pellets. They also determined that the student didn't have ready access to any firearms.
"Making a threat against an educational institution our school can be a misdemeanor level, depending on the credibility of the threat or the ability to have access to firearms those types of things, that's when it starts getting into the felony," said IFPD public information officer, Jessica Clements.
To encourage students to report suspicious activity, IFPD launched an 'If see something, say something' program in schools. Posters have a QR code for students to scan and send an anonymous tip about anything suspicious.
