Schools in state note threats since midweek

At least nine threats of harm -- including some references to shootings -- have been reported at or in regard to schools in Arkansas since Wednesday, when 17 people were gunned down on the grounds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The following is a list of the Arkansas incidents. Students younger than 18 are not named.

• A Fayetteville High School student was arrested in connection with falsely communicating a terrorist threat Thursday after police said he posted on social media that he wanted to "shoot the school up like they did in Florida." District spokesman Alan Wilbourn said the boy said he was making a joke; a rifle was found in his home.

• An eighth-grade student at Berryville was arrested Thursday after police said he threatened in an online post to shoot classmates. He was arrested in connection with felony terroristic threatening.

• A 16-year-old Hackett High School student was arrested Friday after making a "vague threatening comment," Superintendent Edward Ray said. The student was arrested in connection with first-degree terroristic threatening.

• A student was arrested Friday at Timbo High School, where a 17-year-old was "making threats to cause harm to others in the school," according to a news release from the Stone County sheriff's office. An investigation into the threat is ongoing.

• The Star City School District reported Thursday that a student had been arrested after threatening to shoot up a school. Police determined there was no "substantiated threat," Superintendent Jon Laffoon said.

• A student at Mammoth Spring High School was arrested after a shooting threat was made Wednesday. It was unclear whether the threat was made before or after the school shooting in Florida.

• Police responded Friday and took a student in for questioning after a threat was made at Gurdon High School, according to Superintendent Allen Blackwell. There was no imminent danger, and the school did not go on lockdown, Blackwell said.

• Rogers Public Schools canceled a pep rally Friday after a vague threat was made at Rogers Heritage High School, district spokesman Ashley Siwiec said.

• North Little Rock police said Friday that officials are investigating a social media post depicting several assault rifles with the caption "I LOVE MY GUNS, TIME FOR ROUND 2 OF FLORIDA TODAY."

Information for this article was contributed by Scarlet Sims of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; and Rachel Herzog and Brandon Riddle of Arkansas Online.

State Desk on 02/17/2018