KYLE, Texas — A 16-year-old has been arrested in connection with threats against Hays CISD that circulated online, the Hays County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Hays CISD first sent a message to the community on Monday stating that some parents and students had reached out about a screenshot of a screenshot that is circulating, claiming that a gang was planning a retaliation shooting at an unnamed school. The district said that threat was circulating regionally and statewide and did not target any Hays CISD schools.
The district, as well as the Kyle Police Department, said it was alerted to this first threat by the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC), and state law enforcement were investigating. Kyle police said at 12:50 p.m. on Monday that out of an abundance of caution, they would increase their presence at Hays CISD campuses for the remainder of the day.
Following that initial message, Hays CISD sent the community a second message, stating that, "A second screenshot threat has surfaced, likely in response to the previous threat message" mentioned in the initial email. The district said this time, the screenshot threat specifically mentioned "Hays."
Deputies said at around 1:30 p.m., a separate and unrelated incident occurred at Hays High School where fire alarms were set off.
"This caused further confusion and caused several students to leave campus, caused alarm to the entire community, and hundreds of parents rushed to the school to find their children," the Hays County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
A school resource officer learned a 16-year-old student could be responsible for the second screenshot that specifically referenced a school in Hays CISD. The juvenile suspect was located at Hays High School.
The suspect told deputies the screenshot was grabbed from social media and personalized to Hays High School "as a joke." It was sent to several students, and one of more of those students posted it to social media after becoming alarmed.
The juvenile suspect was arrested on Tuesday morning and charged with false alarm, a state jail felony, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.
"Here are three important things to know: We do take these threats seriously no matter how likely or not likely they are to materialize. We do share in your frustration that these types of threats are disruptive and cause unnecessary concern among students, parents, and staff. When the perpetrators of this threat are arrested, we will cooperate fully with law enforcement to aid them in developing their case for a maximum level of prosecution," Hays CISD said on Monday.
In its first message to the community, the district said that it always remains vigilant regarding any potential threats and that one of its best defenses against a threat is to make sure all exterior doors are latched and locked. The district has also encouraged the community to report potential school threats to the iWatch Texas reporting center, which is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.