School officials: Social media threat against Muscatine High a hoax

Muscatine High School. Photo by Jim Elias

Word of a shooting threat at Muscatine High School on Wednesday morning spread quickly on social media and worried parents, but school officials say two students admitted it was a hoax.

The school received word of an anonymous text warning of a potential shooting and immediately notified police, school officials said in a statement.

“In working with the Muscatine Police Department, two students admitted that their social media post was a hoax,” the statement said.

Both students have been removed from the school and the police investigation continues.

“Our utmost priority is to make certain we provide students a safe learning environment and to that end, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that happens,” the school statement read.” Precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

“Our counselors, administration, security team, and school resource officers met this morning to make sure the building remains safe and secure. Also, additional police will be in the building and surveilling the outside of the building.”

The incident follows television news stories this week about a special needs student beaten in a hallway as he walked to class. The attack was caught on video and posted to Snapchat.

Muscatine High School released a statement following publicity of the incident, saying the school “prides itself on taking a hard line on aggressive behavior,” but not addressing the attack directly.

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