A screen shot of the Snapchat post, sent to North Penn Now by a concerned parent.
A Snapchat post threatening a school shooting made its way through the North Penn area Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, however police and school officials say the post originated out of state and has no connection to the area or North Penn School District.
In a phone interview with North Penn Now, Towamencin Police Chief Tim Troxel said his investigators quickly determined the Snapchat post had originated from somewhere in Georgia. Troxel added he believes its likely that a local student saw the post, believed the threat was about a local school and then shared it to other students.
“At this time, there is no reason to believe there is a threat against any school in the district,” Troxel said, adding that his investigators were continuing to determine how the post made its way into the district.
North Penn School District was also quick to dispel the rumor, sending an email to parents just before 9 a.m. stating that they take all threats seriously and debunking the Snapchat post. The statement reads, in full:
We understand that there is a Snapchat post that is making its way through social media that references a possible shooting today, Wednesday, October 27th at an unidentified school. We want to assure families, staff and students that we take any threat seriously and have involved the local police departments and we have found no connection to any North Penn School District school. In fact, the original post is traced back to a school district in another part of the country, and other local school districts are also managing rumors in their community about the post as well. As always, we appreciate those who brought their concerns to us and reported the post to school district personnel. Together we will continue to keep our schools safe.
Indeed, dozens of districts — if not more — are currently issuing statements and attempting to calm the minds of concerned parents and students. News reports from across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday show the reach of the viral threat, as school districts one by one have been working to debunk the threat.
See also:
North Penn Awarded State Grant to Enhance Student Safety
Police, School District Officials Respond to Petition Questioning School Safety
Police Called After Tempers Flare Over Mask Policy at North Penn School Board Meeting
Penndale Middle School Locked Down Tuesday, Three BB Guns Found (UPDATED)
