AFTERNOON UPDATE: Helena police say a 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the threats made to Helena High School on Wednesday.
"At the conclusion of the investigation, a juvenile was placed under arrest for intimidation and transported to a juvenile detention facility," said Assistant Chief of Police Cory Bailey. "Officers are still investigating but are not aware of any other active threats towards the schools."
According to Helena Public Schools, the district was made aware of two separate threats Wednesday morning on the SnapChat social media platform. The first threat did not name any specific schools in Montana and was deemed non-credible by law enforcement.
"Helena Police Chief Brett Petty shared with us that this post was already on the radar of the Montana Analysis and Technical Information Center (MAITIC), an arm of the Montana Department of Justice that tracks and analyzes social media threats," wrote Superintendent Rex Weltz in a statement to families and staff of Helena Public Schools.
At the same time a second threat that specifically targeted Helena High was also posted on SnapChat, but came from a local source.
In response, the district implemented a "Shelter in Place" order for Helena High.
"Unfortunately, as a result of there being two school threats reported on the same morning – one credible and one not – a rumor started on social media. Posts claimed that a school threat reported by students at Capital High was ignored by school staff and administration. This was not the case," wrote Weltz.
Weltz thanked the students who reported the threats and encouraged families and community members to be vigilant against rumors.
"It’s human nature for rumors to spread quickly, especially in today’s digital world. In times of emergency, please be sure you’re getting information from trusted sources, whether that’s district email or text communications, the district website, the district Facebook page, or updates from law enforcement," wrote Weltz. "When a threat is received, the first priority of staff at your school and our district office is the safety of students and staff. Our immediate actions are focused on working with law enforcement, initiating appropriate response protocols and communicating with staff. Once these immediate safety needs are addressed, the focus shifts to communicating with parents and the community, taking the time needed to ensure that we’re sharing accurate and appropriate information. This is in itself a safety precaution."
All Helena Public Schools will operate as usual tomorrow. There will be increased police presence at schools throughout the district.
MORNING UPDATE: The "Shelter in Place" order at Helena High was lifted mid-Wednesday morning and the school has returned to normal operations.
According to the school district, Helena Police identified the source of a threat made to the high school on SnapChat.
"The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we worked with law enforcement to resolve the situation," wrote the school district in a press release.
ORIGINAL STORY: As a precautionary measure, Helena High School is under a “Shelter in Place” due to an external threat made to the school.
Law enforcement is investigating whether the threat is credible. Helena Public Schools has asked the Helena Police Department to increase law enforcement presence at all schools for the time being.
At Helena High, all exterior doors are locked and students and staff will stay in their current classrooms until the “Shelter in Place” is lifted.
The school district will provide additional information as it becomes available.
