A threatening message shared online throughout Central Oregon caused concern on the morning of Jan. 2. The message included a photo of a rifle and a vague message about not going to school, according to a post from the Madras Police Department. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the social media post and determined that it was not a credible threat. The social media post did not mention a specific school or school district, according to Madras PD.
Holly Brown, the public information officer for Redmond School District, posted a message addressing Redmond School District students and parents.
“We have been in contact with Redmond Police Department about a concerning social media post that appears to threaten many schools in the area,” wrote Brown. “Our law enforcement partners have recommended to continue school as usual and will be providing an extra presence in our buildings today as a precaution.”
“These types of social media posts often originate outside of our region or areas, as did this one,” wrote Madras PD on a Facebook post. According to a follow-up message from Brown at about 8am, law enforcement traced the post and found that it had been sent out of Portland. “We are grateful for the diligent efforts of law enforcement to investigate all threats in a measure to provide our students and staff with a safe learning environment,” said Brown.
Bend-La Pine School District was not named in the threat and operated as usual, though it did sent an alert to families about the concern. Local law enforcement increased patrols near schools today out of caution, BLPS Communications Director Scott Maben told the Source Weekly.
This article appears in Source Weekly January 4, 2023.
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The picture attached to this article shows a school bus stop sign. It reminds me that there is a credible threat to our school children every day, and that is drivers who don’t bother to stop for school buses. Three days in a row when I dropped my daughter off at the bus stop, cars roared past during her attempt to cross the street to board the bus. It is still dark in the morning when the busses are picking kids up, and they need drivers to pay attention. Please respect the school bus stop sign, from BOTH directions of traffic, to keep our students safe.