BASTROP, Texas — Multiple middle school students have been arrested in Bastrop in connection to a social media threat.
According to Bastrop ISD, the posted threat included Bastrop Middle School, which led district police to investigate.
While it was determined that the threat wasn't credible, four students were arrested and charged due to the seriousness of the incident. All four students now face misdemeanor charges of false alarm/report.
What was the threat?
The district said they learned about a screenshot circulating social media with a list of schools that included Bastrop Middle School as a possible target of a threat.
During the investigation, the district learned the image was altered to include the middle school and had additional messaging of a threat added to it.
The students involved did not report the image to law enforcement and knowingly circulated the image as a false threat, according to the district.
"We take all incidents like this seriously and we are committed to ensuring the safety of all of our students and staff," Bastrop Middle School Principal Tiffany Peirson said. "Thank you for your patience as the investigation took place."
The district asked parents to talk to their children about the severity of making threats or sharing false reports and warned that even when done as a joke, it's still a criminal offense.