Three Whitman-Hanson Regional High School students face charges in connection with a school shooting threat posted on social media, according to the school district and police.
The students will be charged with making threats and will be issued summonsed to appear in juvenile court at a later date, according to police.
Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak said school officials were informed that the students had allegedly posted a threatening image on social media “following non-specific threats at other schools in southeastern Massachusetts” over the weekend, according to the district and public safety officials in a joint press statement. “It was determined that there was no credible threat to the school community as a result of the post.”
The incident was described by police as local students allegedly piggy-backing on a more specific threat received by Brockton schools over the weekend.
“Our increased presence was due to an nonspecific threat to schools on the South Shore,” according to Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch.
On Monday morning a social media photo allegedly posted by the W-H students was said to depict a student wielding a realistic-looking pellet gun, captioned, “Don’t come to school today.”
Once informed about the post, the school district, Whitman and Hanson police launched an immediate investigation in which students and family members have “fully cooperated,” according to the report.
“The district treats all issues of school safety with the highest priority,” Szymaniak said in a statement about the incident. “We want to thank the Whitman and Hanson Police Departments for their assistance during their increased early-morning presence at the high school this morning and in investigating the subsequent social media post. I would like to assure all members of our school community that there was no threat to students or staff, and we will continue to monitor the situation as necessary.”
Szymaniak also said the students will be subject to the school district’s code of conduct policies.
School officials in Abington and Brockton also reported school shooting rumors. Abington was not specifically mentioned, but Brockton was and security screenings were reinstated at all high school entrances on Monday morning, according to WCVB-TV there was also an added police presence at Brockton High School during the day.