SAN ANGELO, TX — An apparent recycled social media threat targeting San Angelo Central High School emerged Sunday evening, October 22, 2023, causing alarm among parents and students. The threat, initially purportedly made in 2021 but aimed at a school with a similar name located elsewhere, ominously mentioned a potential shooting incident scheduled to occur between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., accompanied by a chilling estimate of potential casualties.
Promptly, the San Angelo Independent School District took swift action to debunk this threat. In a statement posted on their official Facebook page, the San Angelo ISD clarified that a thorough investigation, conducted in collaboration with the San Angelo Police Department, determined that the threat against their campus was unsubstantiated. It was, in fact, a recycled threat that had originally targeted a different school in 2021, unrelated to the San Angelo area.
The disruptive impact of such threats is not limited to the anxiety caused among students and parents; it also imposes significant financial costs on taxpayers. Law enforcement agencies are committed to diligently pursuing those responsible for disseminating such threats. As a recent example, in September 2022, San Angelo police arrested a 15-year-old Lake View High School student after an investigation pointed to the student as the source of social media threats. During this incident, Lake View High School was evacuated, but authorities eventually confirmed that the threats were a hoax.
The San Angelo ISD reiterated its unwavering commitment to the safety of its students and staff, emphasizing their priority. They encouraged individuals to promptly report any threats or concerns to district or school officials, local law enforcement, or by utilizing the district's StayAlert reporting system on the San Angelo ISD website.
In conclusion, it is important to note that the recent "shooting" threat circulating on social media pertaining to San Angelo Central High School has been debunked. Following a collaborative investigation with the San Angelo police, school officials not only deemed the threat a hoax but also clarified that it was a recycled threat that had targeted a completely different school in a different location in 2021.
In the cover image of this article, in September 2022, San Angelo police surrounded San Angelo Central High School when threats were made against the school. A week prior a 15-year-old Lake View student was arrested for making terroristic threats. These threats are taken very seriously and consume a great deal of resources.
Police surround Central High School on September 30, 2022
![This is a copy of the "threat" made against San Angelo Central High School on the evening of Oct. 22, 2023.](/sites/default/files/2023-10/threat.jpg "This is a copy of the "threat" made against San Angelo Central High School on the evening of Oct. 22, 2023.")
This is a copy of the "threat" that was spreading primarily via text messages. It was against San Angelo Central High School and was forwarded to us multiple times on the evening of Oct. 22, 2023. The San Angelo ISD debunked the threat as old, recycled from 2021, and said it was aimed at another high school with a similar name not in our area two years ago. It appears to be a screenshot of a SnapChat private message.
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