HOUSTON – Just a day after a gun was found at Willis High School, officials say two students were taken into custody on Tuesday for making comments about having a bomb.
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Students taken into custody
What we know:
According to school officials, two students made comments to staff about having a bomb. The students said they were joking, but school officers responded and took the students into custody, officials say.
“We want to be very clear: statements about bombs, weapons or violence are never a joke. Even when students say they are joking, these statements must be treated as a serious safety concern and investigated accordingly,” school officials said in a letter to parents. “We understand that students may still be processing yesterday’s incident and may be tempted to use humor or make comments about what happened. However, there is no place for jokes or comments about threats of violence at school. Students need to understand that their words have consequences, and statements like these can result in serious disciplinary and legal consequences.”
What you can do:
School leaders ask parents to speak with their children about the seriousness of their words. They also say that students should tell an adult if they hear something concerning. They should not just assume it’s a joke or repeat it.
What we don’t know:
It’s unclear what disciplinary consequences the students will face.
New safety protocols
Dig deeper:
On Tuesday, new safety measures were put in place due to two guns being found on campus within a month. Students will now enter the school through a metal detector, and their bags will be searched. Students will have to place all items except laptops into their backpacks before entering the building.
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A K-9 that was on campus on Monday returned on Tuesday as a precaution.
The campus also plans to switch to clear backpacks in the next few weeks.
3 incidents in one month
Timeline:
Three incidents have been reported at Willis High School in the last month.
On August 26, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported that they received a tip of a student bringing a gun to school. An assistant principal reportedly found the gun in a student’s backpack and confiscated it.
On August 27, a student was arrested for allegedly making threats of shooting classmates. Officials said the student was charged with terroristic threat and taken to the Montogmery County Juvenile Detention Center.
On September 21, a gun was reportedly found on campus. The gun was confiscated, and the student was taken into custody.
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