LAS CRUCES – In a press release Tuesday, Las Cruces Public Schools said a number of online threats against schools in the district were not credible.
The school district said Superintendent Ralph Ramos had notified the Las Cruces Police Department and the New Mexico State Police of the “threats” floating around on social media platforms this week.
A law enforcement investigation found the “threats” were not local and not credible, the school district said in the press release.
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At least four LCPS schools were affected: Las Cruces High, Sierra Middle, Camino Real Middle and most recently Organ Mountain High.
A screenshot of the “threat” to the Organ Mountain, which was shared with the Sun News – comes from the social media site TikTok. It contains a section of text with alleged shootings and bombings at an unspecified school location and is entitled “Confession”.
Law enforcement officials said reposts on social media made it appear that old threats are new threats, the district said in its press release.
“Any threat to our students – credible or not – has our attention and we will work immediately with law enforcement to protect our campus,” Ramos said in the press release. “If there is an incident that attracts national attention, like the recent tragedy in Michigan, similar threats crop up elsewhere. Our schools are not immune and we will use all resources to ensure that our students are safe. ”
Ramos added that parents understandably want to protect their children by keeping them at home, which is a disruption to the educational process.
“We urge families to trust our law enforcement partners to determine when a credible threat is being made. In this case we will do everything we can to secure our campus. We remain vigilant and will communicate any changes to our students, employees and families. ”
The press release did not state how many students were staying home because of the “threats”.
School officials urge students to follow the Department of Homeland Security’s motto, “When you see something, say something,” and immediately report suspected violence to school staff, parents, teachers or law enforcement agencies.
In its press release, the district also reminds students that threats of violence are illegal and punishable by law. In addition to law enforcement, LCPS can impose other sanctions.
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