Conway School District released a statement to the community regarding a school shooting threat Sept. 20.
The message pertains to the concerns of recent school safety information related to Conway Public Schools, specifically speculated threats towards Carl Stuart Middle School.
The statement going around is sparking concerns about these threats.
The school district has made it evident that the information being spread was about an incident that happened 3 years ago.
“Please know that the information being circulated relates to an incident that occurred three years ago,” Conway Public Schools said.
This information has no link to the recent shooting threat affecting the district.
The main email sent out to the parents and staff is referring to an “anonymous, statewide threat that has been circulating for the past week, which has reached some students in our district.
“The message did not target any specific school or district, and we want to assure you that there have been no direct threats made against Carl Stuart Middle School or any other school in Conway Public Schools at this time,” Conway Public Schools said.
The district is working closely with the Conway Police Department to monitor this situation.
A message previously sent out Sept. 19 said Conway School District takes any and all threats very seriously.
Any students found responsible for the threats in any capacity will face legal consequences and school-disciplinary action, according to the message.
The message said that parents and guardians were encouraged to talk to their students to discuss the repercussions of making such threats and to go to any school personnel if they come across any concerning messages.
Cabot High School released a statement regarding a school shooting threat found Sept. 10.
Superintendent Tony Thurman said, “A student found a journal in the restroom with threatening statements. Eventually, the statements were reported to proper authorities, and an investigation was conducted to identify the person responsible.”
Cabot High School worked to de-escalate the situation by working with Cabot Police. The student who wrote the threatening statements turned themself in and will remain anonymous.
Thruman said, “A Cabot High School student has admitted to making the threat and has been removed from campus. That student will face serious school consequences and felony charges.”
Thurman said while there is little the school can do to prevent the making of threats, there is a safety protocol in place when threats happen.
“We have a comprehensive safety and security plan for every campus. Our Cabot Public Schools Police Department has always worked closely with the Cabot Police Department along with the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office,” Thurman said.
With school shootings becoming more prevalent, the UCA Police Department has taken steps to be proactive against school shooting threats on campus.
Micheal Hopper, the public information officer for UCAPD, said, “I cannot go into response or operational details for security reasons. I will say that all of our officers are trained annually on active attacker response and building search scenarios.
“Additionally, each building has an emergency plan that covers a number of potential hazards and responses,” Hopper said. “Emergency information can also be found on the Safe@UCA app. Phone, text and email alerts can also be issued with evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions.”
Hopper said no matter where a school shooting threat like this happens, serious consequences will be implemented.
“They can range from suspension or expulsion from the university in addition to criminal charges and jail time associated with those charges,” Hopper said.
Other Arkansas schools that have recently seen shooting threats include Nettleton High School in Jonesboro, Greenbrier Middle School in Greenbrier, Premier High School and Southwest High School, both in Little Rock.
There has been a 31% rise in school shootings during the last academic year, 2023-2024, compared to the previous year, according to usatoday.com.