Last night the school notified WSLM that they would be observing a 2-hour delay today after threats were made against the school.
Administrators and law enforcement are continuing their investigation into the anonymous threat directed at the school.
Administrators will send out more information as it becomes available.
It is not known at this time if the threat came from a student or how the threat was made.
East Washington School Corporation was closed on Thursday due to threats made through a social media app call Sarahah and Snapchat.
A school shooting took place earlier this week in Kentucky that resulted in the death of two students and 16 others being sent to the hospital with injuries.
Police are working with a tech firm to track the whereabouts of social media messages that posed a threat against Eastern High School students early Thursday morning.
Dennis Stockdale, East Washington School Corporation Superintendent said schools would be open on Friday.
Stockdale
But Stockdale said students are being asked not to bring backpacks to school. If backpacks are brought, he said they will be searched as they arrive at school.
“We’re going to ask kids to do things a little differently tomorrow,” Stockdale said. “We’re going to ask parents to do things a little differently. I’m asking parents to be patients because we anticipate it may take a little bit longer to get the kids where they need to be in the morning, but we can ensure their safety, and that’s first.”
There will be a much stronger presence with police on campus, he said.
Through working with the Pekin Town Marshall, Indiana State Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and a school-focused tech company called Safer Schools Together, they have identified the threats came from a foreign app that allows anyone to post anonymously.
“We found that these messages originated with an app called Sarahah,” said Stockdale, “It identified first names of what we think were a couple of students. Some generic comments were made towards the school. We have been trying to pinpoint how specific and accurate they are. That’s why we brought in Safe Schools and law enforcement to take it to the next level, so we can get behind this and find who this is.”
We have some confidence we can pinpoint who the person is. That person will be prosecuted to the fullest,” said Stockdale.
“Sarahah” is the Arabic word for candor or openness, and those are certainly qualities that could be used to describe the many users who are flocking to download the social app that lets them send anonymous messages.
This app was introduced in late 2016 by Saudi Arabian developer Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq, and began as a website intended for employees to give anonymous, honest feedback to their employers.
After some success in Arabic-speaking countries, Tawfiq rolled out an English version last summer. Like many anonymous messaging apps before it, the new app has caught on rapidly with teens.
Stockdale said law enforcement has spoken with the students involved – those who received the post. He said the original post was re-transmitted through Snapchat to others.
“There’s a lot of gray area of where the original post came from,” he said.
“At this point we don’t know if it’s a local post or if it is a generic post that could hit multiple places throughout the country,” Stockdale said. “We’ve seen that in schools here in the past few years those happening, so we need to identify that, work on that, and that’s what’s happening now through law enforcement and some of the other agencies.”
“There was some conversation – I can’t talk about now – that really maybe gives us hope that we can at least identify that it might be a student or that it might not be and might just be a hacker. The experts are looking at that for us. We definitely want to be proactive,” he said.
Stockdale said school officials were notified at midnight and immediately began planning to call of school so they could investigate and determine the threat assessment. “I don’t think any of us have been to bed yet. That’s how important it is. Parents trust me with the security of their children. They expect us to get them to school safely, keep them safe while they are here and get them from school to home safely. We wanted to make sure we were able to do that.”
“The decision was made to immediately cancel classes and get a plan together for tomorrow so they would be safe.
In working with law enforcement, Stockdale had nothing but great things to say. “We have some of the best law enforcement around….from the town marshall, to the state police, to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Working with everyone has allowed us to put a plan in place along with staff and law enforcement. To have a heightened security presence when our kids come tomorrow. They’ll be safe while we investigate and get to the bottom of the post.”
“It’s been a very concerted effort for the safety of our kids, so we’re confident tomorrow that we can bring kids back on campus while we continue the investigation into where these threats might have originated from,” he said.
Several threats are made to schools around the US each day. In fact, there were several others around the country today.
Even a day after a tragic school shooting in which 2 students were killed and over a dozen were injured, a threat was made at a Kentucky school.
Madisonville Police officers have taken two juveniles into custody after false threats of a school shooting circulated on social media.
The message directing threats at Hopkins County Schools happened late Tuesday night, according to a statement from Major Chris Taylor of Madisonville Police.
Early this morning, East Washington School administrators received information about threats made to high school students that were posted on an anonymous social media site.
According to Dennis Stockdale, EWSC Superintendent, “We take these type of threats seriously, therefore to allow law enforcement time to investigate these threats, East Washington Schools will be closed today, Thursday, January 25th.”
This will be an e-learning day and lessons and assignments will be posted to the school website by 9:00 AM.
Schools in the region are on alert after this weeks shooting at a school in Benton, Kentucky where two students were shot and more than a dozen were injured.
It is not known at this time what the nature of the threat was or who was responsible for posting it
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin said Tuesday afternoon that a 15-year-old boy shot 14 people Tuesday morning at a southwestern Kentucky high school.
Two of the victims, a 15-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, died from their wounds in the shooting.
Five others suffered non-gunshot injuries, the governor said.
The suspect in the incident at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, has been apprehended, according to officials with Marshall County Emergency Management.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard Sanders said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon that the suspect entered the school at 7:57 a.m. and soon opened fire with a handgun.
Sanders said the first 911 call came in two minutes later, and police were on scene by 8:06 a.m.
A Marshall County deputy apprehended the shooter. One of the two deceased victims, the 15-year-old girl, died at the scene, Bevin said during the press conference.
The other deceased victim passed away at a hospital.
The suspect is a 15-year-old student and police say he will be tried as a n adult.
Nearly 100 children ran out of Marshall County High School seeking safety, said Mitchell Garland, who rushed outside of his business when he heard about the shooting.
“They was running and crying and screaming,” Garland told the Associated Press. “They was just kids running down the highway. They were trying to get out of there.”
A half-dozen ambulances and numerous police cars converged on the school.
Officers in black fatigues carrying assault rifles showed up as well. Federal authorities also responded, and Gov. Matt Bevin ran out of the Capitol to rush to the school.
Parents left their cars on both sides of an adjacent road, desperately trying to find their children.
“This is a tremendous tragedy and speaks to the heartbreak present in our communities,” Bevin said in a statement released on Twitter. “It is unbelievable that this would happen in a small, close-knit community like Marshall County. As there is still much unknown, I encourage people to love on each other at this time. Do not speculate, but come alongside each other in support and allow the facts to come out.”
Yesterday the Indiana State Police were called to investigate the discovery of two suspected improvised explosive devices in Marshall County. Both were found in mail boxes and nobody was injured.
The first improvised explosive device was found in the 3000 block of Olive Road yesterday morning. It was discovered when the homeowner went to get their mail and saw that the mailbox was damaged.
The second was located in the 14000 block of 3rd Road. This discovery was made by a mail carrier and did not detonate.
The public is reminded if they find a suspected improvised explosive device or pipe bomb, do not touch or move it. If you open your mailbox, leave it open and get out of the area and call 911.
If anyone has information on either of these devices, call the Indiana State Police Bremen Post at 574-546-4900 and speak to Trooper Michael Gruett or Trooper Brian Hoffman.
Indiana State Police EOD Hazardous Device Technician Trooper Derek Fisher assisted with recovery of both devices. United States Postal Inspector Brock Zeeb is also involved with the investigation.
A meeting will be held in Borden next week will allow the community and stakeholders the chance to discuss the possible annexation of Borden Schools with East Washington School Corporation.
The meeting will be held at the community building in Borden on Wednesday, January 31 at 6:30p.
Representatives from East Washington will be there to listen and answer questions.
All community members are welcome to attend.
In a message from East Washington Superintendent Dennis Stockdale, posted to the school’s social media pages today, he said:
Stockdale
“I realize there has been some chatter recently about the possibility of Borden becoming part of East Washington School Corporation.
“As Borden considers all of its options for its educational future, Borden has approached EWSC about the possibility of becoming part of the East Washington district.
“At this time, Borden has asked to receive information about programs currently offered at East Washington.
“I, the Superintendent of EWSC, have agreed to attend an upcoming Borden community meeting on January 31st to share information about the great things happening at East Washington.
“Before ANY serious discussions would occur, East Washington would have several community based discussions on possible impacts on East Washington’s school and community. Due diligence must be taken to consider possible positive and negative impacts that would occur as a result of any decision.
“This is a very long process that could take several years. Any speculations of a decision at this time would be and are premature.
“Please remember, no decision is imminent in the near future.”
The West Clark School board voted last November to allow Silver Creek to secede from the West Clark Community School Corporation.
This is the first time in Indiana history that a school corporation has removed itself from a school corporation. But the process will take a lot of time to complete.
The investigation into the double murder of a Dearborn County couple led to a suspect being arrested in Kentucky on Saturday, January 20, 2018, on unrelated charges.
The name of the suspect will not be released until formal charges are filed in this investigation.
Charges are forthcoming in Dearborn County.
Detectives with the Indiana State Police and Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department continue to investigate a double homicide after two people were found deceased inside a residence on Douglas Drive on Friday, January 19, 2018.
The investigation began when the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department were requested to conduct a welfare check on the residents of the home after family became concerned.
When officers arrived on scene, they discovered Walter Bryant, Jr., age 78, and his daughter Faith Craig, age 58, deceased inside the home. Evidence at the scene indicated that both Bryant and Craig were victims of a homicide.
The investigation led to a suspect being arrested in Kentucky on Saturday, January 20, 2018, on unrelated charges. The name of the suspect will not be released until formal charges are filed in this investigation. Charges are forthcoming in Dearborn County. Once completed, more information will be available for release.
Autopsies on the victims are being completed. No cause of death is being released at this time.
The families of the victims have been notified.
The Indiana State Police continues to be assisted in the investigation by the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department and Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police are investigating the death of a 14-year-old Campbellsburg youth who died Sunday afternoon after being shot with a .22 caliber pistol.
Rex William Pruett, 14, 7460 East County Road 800 North, Campbellsburg, was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at St. Vincent Salem Hospital.
Police were called to 7460 E County Road 800 N, Campbellsburg Sunday at approximately 2:45 pm.
Preliminary investigation reveals that a father and two children were preparing to go outside and shoot handguns.
The father received a phone call and while he was on the phone his daughter, 16, unintentionally shot his son (her brother) with a 22 caliber revolver.
Due to the remote location the father loaded his son into his vehicle and started towards St. Vincent Salem Hospital.
Pruett died at the hospital.
The investigation is ongoing, but investigators do not suspect foul play.
The Washington County coroner’s office said that an autopsy will be conducted this afternoon.
Trooper Detective Shane Staggs was the lead investigator.
Assisting Agencies were the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Coroner’s Office
