LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — School safety has been top of mind for parents after the events over the past week.
Overnight, numerous parents reached out to Channel 13 with concerns after seeing a threat to multiple Clark County schools posted on social media.
WATCH | How the schools and parents responded to social media threats against their campuses
One of those parents who reached out to us was Saville Middle School parent Verenice Palomino.
"It looked alarming," Palomino told Channel 13 in a Friday interview. "Just with everything he was saying, [there were] screenshots of actual students that my daughter knew."
The videos, which have since been taken down, showed someone claiming to be a 15-year-old Saville Middle School student handling firearms making threats to Saville, Cram Middle School and Shadow Ridge High School, which are all located in the northwest valley.
While we have watched the alleged videos in question, Channel 13 has chosen not to show them on our air or online.
Now, authorities have confirmed to Channel 13 that a juvenile has been arrested for the social media posts.
CCSD officials said in a statement they determined the threats to be "unsubstantiated," but added the juvenile was arrested because "making a terroristic threat is a crime."
Principals from all three schools sent letters to families informing them of what happened.
"We want to emphasize to our community how seriously we take threats made to our schools. Students who make threats to a school can be charged with making a terrorist threat, among other serious crimes," wrote Bradley Leimbach, principal of Saville Middle School.
Shadow Ridge High School Principal Traci Kannon mentioned an increased police presence on and around campus "out of an abundance of caution" in her letter.
Classes were held at all schools as normal on Friday, and Channel 13 did see an increased police presence on each of the three campuses which allegedly received threats.
Even though the threats were determined to be unsubstantiated, the fear for parents and students was very real, with many parents deciding to keep their kids home from school, like Verenice Palomino.
"It's very sad, and it's scary that we have to have these conversations with our kids," Palomino said.
Shadow Ridge High School mom Brandy Morano also kept her daughter home from school on Friday.
"Even if it was just a threat, and there wasn't any real threat, I wasn't going to risk my student — my daughter — being a victim," Morano said.
Every parent Channel 13 has spoken with has credited our community for spreading the word about the possible threats.
"The kids were really on top of it," Palomino said.
"For once social media was a hero in this," Morano said.
CCSD emphasizes the importance of reporting school threats to law enforcement, administrators or through their SafeVoice portal. Students and parents can make reports by going to safevoicenv.org, calling 1-833-216-SAFE (7233), or downloading the SafeVoice app.
You can also call CCSDPD Dispatch directly at 702-799-5411.
-
Former Las Vegas youth pastor charged in wife's deadly 2006 fall from Angels Landing
A man who previously served as a church youth pastor has been charged with the murder of his wife, nearly 20 years after she fell to her death from Angels Landing in Zion National Park.
How Utah investigators linked ex-youth pastor in Las Vegas to wife's 2006 death
The criminal charges against a former Las Vegas youth pastor now charged in his wife's 2006 death were unsealed Tuesday, unveiling what led investigators to charge him nearly 20 years later.
Report: LVMPD officer had prior domestic violence probe before recent arrest
We are learning more details surrounding the recent arrest of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer on domestic violence charges.
Former Las Vegas pastor charged in wife's deadly 2006 fall from Angels Landing
A man who served as a church youth pastor has been charged with the murder of his wife, nearly 20 years after she fell to her death from Angels Landing in Zion National Park.
