Sweetwater High School, Middle School Placed on Lockdown

SWEETWATER, TX-- A social media post directed at Sweetwater Middle School prompted Sweetwater ISD officials to place the middle school and Sweetwater High School on lockdown Thursday afternoon.

"Today, the Sweetwater Police Department notified the district that there was reason to take precautionary measures due to possible social media threats directed toward Sweetwater Middle School," said Sweetwater Superintendent Dr. George McFarland in a statement. "The district, in conjunction with local law enforcement, took swift, precautionary actions to ensure the safety of our students."

Students from Sweetwater Middle School were bused to the Nolan County Coliseum, where parents were able to pick their kids up at 2:45 pm.

KTXS in Abilene was told by Sweetwater Police Chief Brian Freida that a juvenile suspect was in custody in regards to the threat.

"Sweetwater ISD will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement to assess and monitor the situation so that we can assure that the safety of our students is properly handled moving forward," Dr. McFarland's statement said.

The threat comes just on day after the tragic shooting in Parkland, FL, that claimed the lives of 17.