Riesel ISD Responds to Threat of Violence Posted to Social Media

It's a story that's becoming all too common: someone hiding behind a computer monitor or phone screen threatens violence against a school, and officials and police are obligated to take that threat seriously.

Our partners at News 10 report that an anonymous person posted that they planned to open fire at Riesel High School. Riesel ISD officials were notified of the threat circulating on social media Sunday, after which they announced increased security at the school and an investigation of the threat.

Riesel ISD officials issued the following statement Sunday:

On Sunday, September 29, 2019, Riesel ISD administrators became aware of an anonymous threat of violence directed at the Riesel High School campus. The threat was reported to law enforcement and the District is fully cooperating with officials as they investigate the situation. Riesel ISD has put additional safety measures in place to increase security at Riesel High School in the coming days. We ask that any community member with information about this or any other threat to the safety of our students and staff to contact law enforcement and Riesel ISD administration immediately.

Not everyone was satisfied with the response. Some parents stated in the comments that they would be keeping their children at home, while others wanted specific information about what the district would be doing to ensure student safety.

Other comments commended the district for taking the threat seriously and praised the district's performance overall.

Personally, I'm happy to see schools taking these threats seriously. It would be easy to dismiss these situations as some edgy kid trying to incite fear online, but the moment we take that for granted and don't act could be the moment someone serious about carrying out their threat begins taking lives.

We cannot live in fear, but must remain ever vigilant.