TEXAS, USA — Multiple school districts across the Permian Basin are on high alert after threats of violence surfaced on social media, raising concerns among parents, students and staff. While the threats ultimately were proven to be false, they were taken very seriously.
Lieutenant Chancey Westfall, the public information officer for Ector County ISD Police, spoke on the severity of threats to public safety, especially when children are involved.
"That is a terrifying thing as a parent to think that your student might not be safe because we're entrusted with the safety and well-being of the most precious thing in the world," Westfall said.
From the time officials were made aware of a threat, the investigation began immediately.
Westfall explained that his department contacted their federal and state resources.
"There are data centers here in the United States that review the information," he said.
That information can sometimes come from a picture off of social media. The resource center will see if it is an original or if it was a duplicated image, that came from Google per say. If the image containing the threat was an original, that indicated a higher likelihood of concern to law enforcement.
"The data center will get back with us, they'll start tracing everywhere that image has been sent on social media and circulated," Westfall said.
An update from Grandfalls-Royalty ISD revealed several arrests have been made.
"There could be criminal charges depending on how the information is spread," Westfall elaborated. "That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s where the post originated. If someone sends out a message intending to incite panic or cause alarm, they could face charges, even if they didn’t create the original post."
Alpine ISD said officials traced the original post back to Connecticut. After collaborating with multiple agencies and the FBI, Ector County ISD said the "432" threat was traced not only out of Texas but out of the country – indicating a non-credible threat.
Westfall said another clue would be vagueness of a target.
"The threat that came in [Tuesday] said 'schools in the 432 area code,' that is an extremely broad area," he said. "We get a threat like that, that's kind of an indicator. It doesn't mean it's not all clear, it just gives us an idea of what we're potentially dealing with."
As the threat was investigated, some parents expressed concerns about the district's response time. Ector County wanted to ensure the public that safety and quality information remain the priority.
"We do not want to put out misinformation," Westfall said. "There is a process we have to follow to verify the credibility of a threat without causing mass panic. We don't want to say there’s no threat, but at the same time, we don’t want to alarm parents unnecessarily."
In the world of social media, full of misinformation, where anyone can post anything, ECISD wants the public to understand that the consequences of one click can be disastrous.
A majority of school districts in the surrounding area did implement safety precautions in result of the threat.
Crane Independent School District administrators and law enforcement patrolled and monitored each campus.
Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD scheduled a walkthrough by law enforcement with additional officers present.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also sent this statement to NewsWest 9:
"The FBI’s El Paso Field Office is aware of the numerous hoax threats made to the many schools around El Paso and Midland/Odessa area. The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. We do not have information that indicates a specific and credible threat, and will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately." - Federal Bureau of Investigation