PEARLAND, Texas – There were at least five schools across the Houston metro area that dealt with school threats or violence on Wednesday, resulting in lockdowns or secure modes at campuses, which impacted thousands of students and teachers.
KPRC 2 is aware of at least two arrests connected to the cases as investigations are ongoing, after incidents at Bellaire High School, Elsik High School, Pearland Junior High East, Sterling High School, and Spring High School.
Investigations will often include school police all the way up to federal law enforcement. Students making threats of violence or actually carrying out an act are likely to end up in handcuffs and facing felony charges.
“As soon as a threat is received, it is sent to us. It’s instantly being investigated,” said Pearland Police Officer Chad Rogers.
At Pearland Junior High East, officers investigated a Tik Tok threat of a shooting which turned out to be unsubstantiated. Police found the post didn’t come from a student or community member’s account but instead may have been connected to a nationwide social media scam, according to a message Pearland ISD sent parents.
“Once those comments are made, you can’t take them back. Once the fear is set in place, you can’t take that back,” Rogers said.
The FBI Houston field office posted a notice to students this week, warning them to think before they post amid all the spoofs.
Police have to prioritize the threats to protect student safety but that pulls detectives from investigations and cases involving real victims.
“We’re in a climate where students are often afraid to come to school,” UH professor April Peters said. She’s a former teacher and principal.
The threats cause major learning disruptions, she said, and leaves students feeling uncertain about the legitimacy of them while trying to focus on learning.
“It can be quite the distraction not only for the students, but for the adults who are wanting to keep themselves safe, but also are charged with keeping students safe,” Peters said.
She provided some suggestions for parents to discuss and do with their students.
According to a 2023 study, about 64 percent of people who make shooting threats against schools end up arrested, but Pearland Police said it’s a challenge to track down the source of some of the threats especially when social media is involved. That same study found the person making the threat was not found in about 16 percent of cases.
“Something as simple as posting and hitting send on social media is ending up in felony charges for some of these young adults,” Rogers said. “There is a zero tolerance policy towards any type of threat towards a school.”