Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of a small group learning room and a newly renovated kindergarten classroom at Parkside Elementary School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, March 20, 2023.
3:30 p.m. update
Columbus police said Sunday they will have additional school resource officers at Parkside Elementary School Monday as law enforcement continues its investigation into a shooting threat made on social media Friday against the school.
CPD spokesman Sgt. Skylar Berry said an investigation continues into the SnapChat threat, which investigators believe was made by an elementary school student. According to CPD, the student will not be attending BCSC as school officials work with investigators and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office to determine the next steps of action.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police will assist CPD in ensuring security at all BCSC schools, Berry said.
Berry added that many Columbus police officers have children in BCSC schools or family members working there, and school safety is a top priority at all times. Officers routinely patrol all BCSC schools outside the assignments of the five school resource officers who have assignments in local schools.
The threat occurred while other schools throughout the state received similar social media threats last week, resulting in arrests, according to Indiana State Police.
“We have and will continue to address these threats with the utmost seriousness,” Berry said.
This story will be updated.
ORIGINAL STORY
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. has issued an updated statement Sunday afternoon to school corporation families regarding school security and the threat made on social media against Parkside Elementary School.
School officials said safety is the top priority and every threat is taken seriously.
Officials released the following statement on Sunday:
“As a community, we are aware of the recent increase in reports on social media across our state and country involving screenshots of threats of violence. We appreciate those who have reported these posts and we are taking the following actions to protect students and staff:
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BCSC partners closely with local agencies to thoroughly investigate every report. In addition to legal consequences, any student who makes a threat will face disciplinary action at school up to and including suspension and expulsion.
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The September 13 Parkside Elementary social media threat has been, and will continue to be, investigated by Columbus Police Department and BCSC. The person of interest will not be present in their respective elementary building or any other school as the investigation is ongoing.
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Our School Resource Officers are highly trained and present in our schools daily. In response to this increase in threats of violence, Columbus Police Department and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office have reallocated resources to further support our BCSC schools.
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We request you or your student to directly report any threats to law enforcement and through our BCSC School Incident form.
We will continue to remain vigilant, partner with our local law enforcement agencies, and focus on a safe learning environment for all.”
On Saturday, Columbus police issued a statement saying the Parkside social media threat about a shooting on Monday was determined not to be credible.
Sgt. Skylar Berry, Columbus Police Department spokesman, said the individual involved does not have access to firearms, and CPD will continue to investigate the incident in partnership with BCSC. Berry said school safety remains a top priority.
CPD said while the department appreciates the public’s willingness to assist with school security, the department asks that law enforcement manage those efforts.
It’s important to note that carrying a firearm on school property is a felony, Berry said.
Police said the incident, which involved a SnapChat post about a threatened shooting at Parkside School on Monday, underscores the need to teach children about responsible internet use and for parents to actively monitor their child’s online activity.
The department also asked parents to remain cautious when posting or sharing unverified information on social media.
