Law enforcement agencies have determined the threat to Apollo High School was not credible or legitimate and that the messages originated from Arizona, officials have announced. A similar threat was made to an Indiana high school on Wednesday, and the juvenile suspect behind both threats has been arrested. AHS released a statement Thursday about the situation.
Brad Youngman, lead law enforcement officer for the Daviess County Public Schools police department, said the suspect used an internet app to spoof a phone number that made it appear local to the recipient.
Youngman said the wording of the messages sent to both Mt. Vernon High School and Apollo were nearly identical.
Few details about the suspect are available because they are a juvenile. Daviess County Attorney Claud Porter said his office is holding onto charges, but isn’t sure if they’ll move forward because the suspect is in Arizona and doesn’t present a threat.
Porter said it’s his understanding that the suspect admitted to making the threat to Mt. Vernon High School, and that charges are being brought forward in Arizona. The suspect has not admitted to making the threats to Apollo.
“We’ll continue to monitor everything and if circumstance warrant then we’ll move forward with our own charges,” Porter said.
Apollo High School administrators and district police were made aware of “a circulated social media post that referenced a person making a possible threat to campus,” officials announced Wednesday evening. A screenshot of the “possible threat” was shared to Facebook Wednesday afternoon by a parent who said her daughter received a message that was shared on Snapchat. (Click here to read the messages.)
Youngman said DCPS police contacted several partner agencies and started investigating as soon as they became aware of the incident.
“Every agency involved was determined to make sure we investigated to the fullest extent as quickly as possible in the event there was a real threat,” Youngman said. “I appreciate the true team effort and the sincere concern everyone showed during this investigation.”
Apollo High School shared the following message via Facebook Thursday evening:
The following message has been sent via IC Messenger to all Apollo Families by phone call and email. If you miss the call when it comes it, it should leave you a voicemail. We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!
Through the collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies, an investigation has been conducted regarding the screenshots and social media posts that circulated yesterday. Law enforcement agencies have determined that the threat was not credible and there was not a legitimate threat to DCPS schools.
The messages originated from Arizona. A subject has been arrested in Arizona as a result of a similar threat made to Mt. Vernon High School in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. We do not yet have a clear picture as to why a DCPS student was chosen by the Arizona suspect as well. Please understand that few details can be released regarding the juvenile suspect. Charges are pending through the Daviess County Attorney’s Office.
DCPS has a zero-tolerance policy for threats to a campus. Families, please talk to your children about the serious nature of making threats and the importance of immediately reporting any threat or issue of concern to law enforcement or a trusted adult. All threats are taken seriously, investigated completely, and subject to significant and immediate legal charges to the fullest extent of the law.
Thank you again for your communication and willingness to share information with us throughout the investigation. The safety of our students and staff is always a top priority.
We truly appreciate your continued support as we all work together to ensure a safe environment for our students. We look forward to a great day of learning tomorrow.
