UTAH (ABC4) – Police have a person in custody in connection to a threat made against Matheson Junior High School, a Granite School District spokesperson confirms.
The district says while they are continuing to investigate the incident, the threat made against the school did “not appear to be credible.”
“We remain vigilant in asking parents to check their own child’s smartphone and social media usage today and regularly and acquaint themselves with the technology. If they are unable to monitor it appropriately, it should be restricted,” a statement from the Granite School District said.
————————————————————————————————————————
SALT LAKE VALLEY, Utah (ABC4) – Officials with the Granite School District are investigating possible social media threats against schools on Thursday morning.
District officials were made aware of the threats late Wednesday evening. They say the threat in question is an image that has been circulating across the state on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Classes are still being held at this time.
Authorities believe the threats originated from an out-of-state school, but are unsure as the image includes the letters, “GHS,” an abbreviation of Granger High School, but the letters are not specific enough to positively connect it to Granger High School at this time.
“The same post is being shared and reposted across the entire state and does not appear to be directed at any specific school within our district,” school officials say.
Authorities say there’s an additional threat aimed specifically at Matheson Junior High that police are also investigating at this time.
As a precaution, extra police presence will be on school campus throughout the week. The Granite District Police Department has been working with Unified Police and other agencies on the situation.
School officials are asking parents for their help in monitoring their children’s social media feed. They’re asking parents to encourage their children to always report anything suspicious they may see while browsing social media.
“Many of our students are making good decisions and working hard, but this situation is an unfortunate reminder that some of our students are unable to responsibly use social media,” school officials say. “We have seen multiple instances throughout our state and even nationwide: fake threats being posted in similar fashion to what we see this morning. These threats cause needless panic and concern for our students and their families.”
Anyone can anonymously report unsafe behavior using the SafeUT app on a mobile device or online, or they can text (801) 664-2929. If anyone has information related to this incident, contact the police at (801) 481-7122.
“The best security system we have continues to be the eyes and ears of our students who contact trusted adults when they see unsafe behavior or situations,” officials say. “Please remind your students that we need their help to keep our campus and community a safe place.”
