A 12-year-old girl was arrested overnight for making terroristic threats against Killeen Independent School District schools, the district said.
The student, who attends Roy J. Smith Middle School, made a series of threats that were shared widely by parents and students and created widespread fear.
"When is this stuff gonna stop?" Danielle Hatfield, a KISD parent, said.
Tuesday, a 12 year old girl who goes to Roy J Smith middle school posted a series of threats to shoot, torture and rape fellow KISD students.
"I don't care that she's 12. She needs to be treated like an adult in this because if you're gonna, if you're gonna make threats like that, it needs to be taken seriously."
Lakeshia Winfrey has a daughter who attends a KISD middle school.
“She brought it to me and said mom I’m afraid to go to school tomorrow. I asked what’s going on, we don’t miss school, education is priority,” Lakeshia Winfrey said.
But not a higher priority than her daughter’s safety... which is why Winfrey’s daughter was one of over 4,000 KISD students who didn’t go to school Wednesday.
“I didn’t feel comfortable with her going in and not knowing what the resolution was for this person who was launching these attacks," Winfrey added.
Tuesday night, Winfrey visited the Instagram page herself to see the posts.
“The person was still making threats around 8:30 last night,” Winfrey said.
KISD Superintendent John Craft says he and his staff worked well into the evening and early hours of the morning following the investigation.
“Were really in a different time and era particularly with social media. WE all know how quickly social media messages can communicated throughout the world and so we now really respond 24/7,” Superintendent John Craft said.
District officials said they received hundreds of phone calls from concerned parents as the threats were being shared.
"We have been pursuing and investigating threats posted via social media very aggressively the past several days," Superintendent John Craft said. "A social media threat made towards Smith Middle School and other KISD schools was investigated yesterday and overnight into early hours of this morning. Working with KISD Police, the Killeen Police Department, federal authorities and officials at Fort Hood, a search warrant was issued. The student was arrested at her residence and has been charged with making terroristic threats."
Craft said the district takes these threats very seriously and will be pursuing charged to the fullest extent.
Killeen ISD, KISD's Police Department, Fort Hood's Criminal Investigation Division, the Killeen Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division - Special Victims Unit and the FBI worked together on the investigation.
On Tuesday, Killeen police said they were investigating the threat that also possibly involved Audie Murphy Middle School.
Police said the social media post was sent out early Tuesday morning.
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