Twin Falls police ramp up security at schools in response to threat

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Twin Falls Police Department continues investigating a threat of violence against the Twin Falls School District.

The Twin Falls Police Department and the Twin Falls School District are working together to ramp up security on school campuses and ensure students’ safety.

Justin Clark is a school resource officer at Twin Falls High School and a police officer. He said the department has placed an extra officer at every school in the district and increased patrols.

“You will see more patrol officers patrolling the area around the schools just making a presence with their patrol cars,” Clark said.

It was on Sept. 13 after 5 p.m. when police were notified about the threat.

An individual posted to social media that they were a school shooter, and they planned to attack schools in Twin Falls starting on Monday or Friday.

“Language in the post if very similar to other post that are circling the country where individuals take the post, plug in their towns and then repost it,” Eva Craner said. “It is part of a nationwide trend that we are seeing.”

Craner is the Director of Public Relations for the Twin Falls School District. The police department confirmed that the post was not a viable threat, but Craner says the department is still taking it seriously.

“It was quickly investigated by the Twin Falls Police Department, that identified the person that made the post, who was a juvenile, and they did take him into custody.”

Whether intended or not, it is against the law to threaten violence on school grounds and could result in criminal charges, according to the Twin Falls Police Department.

“Every threat we get, we take seriously,” Clark said. “We investigate it and there will be the correct punishment needed as in taking them into custody and then refer to the prosecuting attorney for further investigation.”

KMVT contacted the prosecuting attorney’s office. However, Grant Loebs declined to comment on the case, and the individual is in custody.

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