FORT SMITH, Ark. — Fort Smith officials addressed school shooting threats on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and ensured added officers on-site at Northside High School despite believing the threats were non-credible.
Similar threats have continued circulating nationwide and across Arkansas in the wake of the deadly Georgia school shooting, causing concern for local parents and students.
The Fort Smith Police Department (FSPD) said in a statement that "While the vague nature of the threats do appear to be a national issue, we take them extremely seriously."
Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS) confirmed at 8 a.m. on Wednesday in a Facebook post that the threat "appears to be part of a chain reaction that continues to spread."
The school district said one of the posts mentions Northside High School but does not specify it is the high school in Fort Smith. "We understand that similar threats may be affecting other schools with the same name across the country," the district's statement said.
FSPS said it will add extra officers on-site at Northside just for precaution.
"At this time, there is no credible information linking the threat to any specific individual or group. Fort Smith Public Schools takes these matters very seriously and will continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our students and staff," FSPS said.
Fort Smith police said the threats are being investigated and "all necessary precautions have been taken."
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma schools took precautions to address online threats that they also found to be "not credible."
FSPD encouraged the public to remain vigilant and call 911 if they notice any suspicious activity.
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