DEL VALLE, Texas — Del Valle ISD (DVISD) says several students have been arrested after a gun was brought on the Del Valle High School (DVHS) campus Tuesday morning and threats were made to the district.
In a letter to parents and guardians, DVHS Principal Kandice Smith said campus administrators immediately confiscated a weapon Tuesday morning after a student reported it to a staff member. The weapon was not used, and Smith said DVHS administration made contact with the student before they entered the building.
A DVISD spokesperson later confirmed to KVUE that the weapon was a gun and that the school did not initiate any lockdown or lockout procedures Tuesday morning.
In an update on Wednesday, the district said the "students involved" with the handgun on Tuesday were arrested. The district also said it was aware of social media posts threatening schools and that "two students were arrested for making threats specific to DVISD."
The district said through a thorough investigation by the DVISD Police Department, one of the social media posts was determined to originate from a Del Valle student. The district also noted that, "Many others are part of a nationwide trend that have been deemed not credible by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Austin Regional Intelligence Center."
DVISD said it takes all threats seriously and will take immediate action to investigate and resolve threats, even if they are posted as a joke. The district said posting threats can result in students being charged with making terroristic threats.
Smith also noted in her letter on Tuesday that "items that could be considered weapons, including items for 'show and tell' purposes or toy look-alike weapons, are strictly prohibited." Per the Del Valle ISD Student Code of Conduct, disciplinary and legal consequences may result from bringing such an item onto district property.
DVISD said the district police department remains on "heightened alert" as a precautionary measure and has officers in place across all DVISD campuses, "as they are every day."
Recent threats to Central Texas schools
Several Central Texas school districts have recently increased law enforcement presences on their campuses in response to threats posted on social media.
In each case, the threats were unsubstantiated and no one was harmed. However, multiple people have been taken into custody in connection with the threats, including several students.