Investigations made into threats against schools on Dec. 14 - SCPD #21-36549 & 21-36565

On Dec. 14 the Sioux City Police Department was made aware of a threat made towards East High School in Sioux City that was posted on social media in which a person posted a picture of a gun and said they were on their way to the school.

The department’s priority is the safety of students and had additional officers in the area of the school while the school implemented their safety measures.

Investigators were able to determine the person responsible for the threat and located her.

Their investigation found that the 14-year-old female had created the post with the intent to cause alarm but had no plan for carrying out the threat. The juvenile had created a fake profile on Snapchat and made threats to use a weapon at the school.

The juvenile was taken to Woodbury County Juvenile Detention and charged with class d felony terrorism threats and harassment.

Earlier in the day, the department was made aware of a threat that was made towards West High School and worked with the school to ensure the safety of the students.

Investigators quickly identified and located the 15-year-old male responsible for the posts and have referred him to the County Attorney’s Office for appropriate charges.

The department is committed to protecting the safety of students in our schools. We work closely with all schools to ensure that any threat made is thoroughly investigated. We continually review procedures with the schools that are used to protect students.

We appreciate the students and parents who brought this to the immediate attention of the school and the department.