SAN MARCOS -- The San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District said they are resuming normal entrance procedures after temporarily changing school security protocol earlier this week.
Security at schools tightened earlier this week after a man allegedly made an general threats to "shoot up a school" before showing up in the parking lot of Doris Miller Middle School.
Superintendent Mark E. Eads said in a statement on Wednesday the district is staying in daily contact with law enforcement officers and will reinstate the front door greeters on an as-needed basis.
The story:
Earlier this week, district officials ordered doors to all entrances of all schools remain locked. Each school had a security officer or a greeter at the main entrance, who opened the door for visitors. As it was in the past, visitors were then required to visit the front office, provide photo I.D., and receive a visitor's pass.
Joseph Nieschwietz, 22, came to the attention of authorities after his girlfriend told San Marcos police he assaulted her and tried to strangle her dog. She also told authorities on October 16th that her boyfriend said he wanted to shoot up a school, but that he did not specify where, when or why.
"We just don't have any option but to take those kinds of threats seriously these days," said Police Chief Chase Stapp. The department's first step was to send out an email to all employees with a description of the Nieschwietz and his car.
The same day the girlfriend reported the threat, Nieschwietz turned up in the parking lot of Miller Middle, said Stapp. The school resource officer spotted the car and lock down protocol was instituted as additional officers arrived on the scene to make contact with the suspect.
Stapp says he made a brief attempt to escape, leading police on a short and slow chase for about a mile before he was arrested. The suspect did not have a weapon in his car.
The chief says they don't know what the man's intentions were that day, and there are alternative explanations for why he was sitting in the parking lot.
He says Nieschwietz lived close to the school and may have been waiting in the parking lot to see whether police were looking for him at home in response to his girlfriend's allegations.
"That's best case scenario," said Stapp. "Worst case scenario is he was looking at the school and doing some pre-surveillance for whatever terrible plans he had, we don't know which the case was."
Either way, it's unlikely he will face charges for threatening a school.
"The threats were too vague in nature and were not directed at a particular school or student. Though cause for concern and action on our part, the comments themselves do not rise to the level of criminal charges," wrote Stapp via email.
Nieschwietz was arrested on October 16th on several charges including assault and animal cruelty, but was released from the Hays County jail three days later. Then, on October 20th, the man was arrested again for a traffic violation. He remains in custody.
