Blue Valley North High School. Photo via Blue Valley School District.
A 16-year-old Blue Valley North High School student is in custody after allegedly making a threat towards students at the school on social media, according to Leawood Police.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Leawood Police Capt. Brad Robbins said Blue Valley school administrators first notified police about the threat on Sunday night.
Officers were given the name of the suspect and “soon made contact with the juvenile and his parents at their home,” Robbins said.
Police interviewed the student about making threats on the social media app Snapchat, and he was taken into custody.
As of Tuesday morning, the teen remained in custody at the Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, according to Robbins, and the case has been referred to county prosecutors.
Blue Valley North’s principal Tyson Ostroski sent an email to families Tuesday morning about the incident and saying the student was not at school.
“While I cannot share information about individual law enforcement investigations or student discipline, consequences for threatening posts and images can include suspension and expulsion at the school level depending on the situation,” Ostroski wrote.
He also said there would be an increased police presence on campus Tuesday as a precaution.
Ostroski also encouraged parents to talk to their children “about social media posts and electronic messages.”
“Threatening language or images that would impact the safety of students and staff are taken extremely seriously and have serious consequences,” he said. “Thank you to those who shared concerns about these posts.”
Leawood Police said there was no “active threat” as of Tuesday morning.
Our comment section is reserved for subscribers. Try a subscription today for just $1
Monthly Subscription
$1 for your first month, then just $8.50 per month thereafter. Cancel anytime.
Try for $1Annual Subscription
$1 for your first month, then just $85 per year thereafter. Cancel anytime.
Try for $1