Update:
This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day.
Denton police detain 2 after threats lock down area campuses
The lockdowns come about a week after students started classes and about a month after viral social media threats spread throughout the country and state.
Police detained two individuals after two Denton-area high schools were placed on lockdown Wednesday morning as police investigated “unsubstantiated threats.”
Police placed Denton and Ryan high schools on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a tweet. Officials are asking people to avoid the area.
Wednesday morning, police received an anonymous phone call regarding a potential threat to two high school campuses, Denton ISD spokeswoman Julie Zwahr said. Denton and Ryan high schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
District officials and police then placed Guyer High, Calhoun Middle and Newton Rayzor Elementary schools in a “soft lock out.”
“We do not believe there is any threat to our students or staff at this time,” Zwahr said. “Currently, all students and staff are safe in class.”
Two individuals — one at Denton and one at Ryan — have been detained and are being interviewed, according to police. Officers are searching the campuses, but no weapons have been found. The Guyer lockdown has been lifted.
Denton police have given the “all clear” and campus operations have resumed as normal at Guyer High, Calhoun Middle and Newton Rayzor Elementary schools, Zwahr said. They’re continuing more thorough searches at Denton and Ryan high schools.
Students and staff at those schools remain on-campus. District officials are asking parents to remain off-campus until police give the “all clear” for the two campuses still undergoing searches.
Last month, viral social media threats spread throughout the country and state encouraging students to disrupt classes and riot. A separate threat warned of a national “school shooting day.”
Also in December, Frisco canceled classes at Lone Star High School after a different post spread across the community, urging families to keep their children home due to possible threats of violence against the school.
Students were not allowed to bring their backpacks for the rest of the week once they returned to classes.
Students have faced criminal charges for making false threats or causing alarm.
Frisco police arrested seven youths for school-related threats last month, describing some to be middle-schoolers. They did not specify the charges the students are facing. Rockwall and Lewisville police also took area students into custody after investigating threats in those areas.
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