CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Federal Bureau of Investigation Division in Houston said they've been monitoring an uptick of school threats at districts across the Gulf Coast.
Connor Hagan, the bureau's public affairs officer said specifically in Corpus Christi and it's surrounding viewing area, his team have reported at least two dozen threats since the beginning of the 2023 school year.
"That is something we take seriously, when it's reported to us," Hagan said.
Hagan added that there isn't an exact number of how many threats are monitored and found. But he said his team noticed the difference between the holidays.
"What we’ve been seeing is kind of a cluster of threats," Hagan said. "When stuff is getting closer to Christmas or when you have a holiday weekend coming up, the students want to have that extra day off from school. So one of them might post a threat online just to get out of school and have a longer weekend."
Instead of having a day off from school, the student ends up facing serious consequences. The FBI said the most common way school threats are getting around is social media.
"Primarily in the Coastal Bend area, where you all are, our team is seeing quite a bit of threats on Snapchat and Instagram," Hagan said.
He also mentioned that the FBI works with social media platforms closely during investigations. Many of them are willing to work with law enforcement to track down the potential suspect in order to eliminate the problem from continuing and to get any threats off their platform completely.
The FBI is also working closely with CCISD Police Chief Kirby Warnke and his team. Warnke said even the smallest of threats can utilize up to five officers for several hours.
Both agencies agree that it takes away resources from other important investigations.
“An innocuous unintended threat is going to have the same impact because we are investigating every single thing," Warnke said. "And it’s logical conclusion may be an arrest or it may be a referral for counseling or disciplinary action.”
The chief also added that he and his team work with parents and district counselors to find solutions for the student. There are many times where the threat is just a hoax. To utilize this as a "teaching moment" for the student, the district will implement counseling options for them.
However, there are other times that other local law enforcement departments have to get involved.
Even Corpus Christi Police have reported several school threats in the area since November 2023. Some parents, like Cheryl Walker, believe federal and local law enforcement should designate a particular department that only focuses on school safety.
“It is a priority that our children are safe," Walker said. "Every agency, I would like actually, for them to have a special agency for school safety. Not only just police, special agents.”
If students hear or see something that may be a potential threat, both CCISD Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation encourage them to say something to the closest adult. If anyone is in immediate danger, you’re also asked to call 911.
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