HAYS COUNTY — Following threats that have been circulating across social media regarding school shootings, Hays CISD sent the following email to parents, students and staff on Thursday, Sept. 12.

Dear Hays CISD Family,

I have some additional information I can share about the social media school shooting threats we are managing today. Thank you for your continued patience and trust in us to keep your children safe.

Earlier this morning, I shared with you that law enforcement partners were investigating generic and non-specific threats that were circulating on social media in our school district. Those threats have been determined to have originated outside of our area and are similar to threats that circulated yesterday in other parts of the state. These generic threats were circulating among concerned parents and students from several of our campus communities.

Once our email went out this morning, we were notified that it appears the same threat of something that was supposed to occur, “this week or next,” was altered to include the name of Simon Middle School. We continue to believe that there is no actual threat to the campus; but we also continue to remain vigilant, active in the investigation, and steadfast in our efforts to ensure all campuses are safe.

It is not uncommon when these generic threats are shared so many times on social media that messages get conflated either unintentionally, or intentionally. The result is that sometimes the threats morph to appear to be locally directed at specific campuses. The unintentional distribution is understandable. We live in scary times, especially in terms of the potential for acts of school violence. People want to rightfully warn others about these threats. In situations that are intentionally conflated, it has been our experience that people who do it think it is a joke. Of course, it is not. In fact, it is a crime.

Our first alert to today’s generic threats came last night around 9:00 p.m. Notification came to us through a social media message by a concerned parent from Simon Middle School. We greatly appreciate that report. More importantly, the concern was also reported to iWatch Texas (https://www.hayscisd.net/iwatchtexas), which is operated at the state-level 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. They have tremendous resources that allow them to immediately begin tracking down social media threats. IWatch also alerts local law enforcement agencies, who are always in close contact with district safety and security personnel.

When an alert comes in, our first priority is allowing law enforcement to investigate. We didn’t send a message out last night because we didn’t want to inadvertently alert anyone who posted the threat to delete evidence on their phones or computers – had it been a locally originating threat. However, know that though we prioritize allowing investigations to unfold, in circumstances when communication is critical to protecting people from immediate danger, that communication will always take precedence.

I know this type of social media activity is alarming and frustrating for you – our parents and students. It’s equally that way for law enforcement, school administrators, and everyone who is disrupted and distressed because of these posts. Despite the fact these types of posts are sadly far too common, know that we never tire in our efforts to maintain safety and that we continue to take each and every threat seriously. 

Sincerely,
Tim Savoy
Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer 

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office also provided the following statement: “The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has been working with Hays ISD regarding generic social media threats being made to several, non-specific school districts.  All threats are taken seriously. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office, surrounding Police Departments, and the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) are currently investigating these threats. There is no current danger to any of the campuses. We will continue to update with current information as it becomes available.”

To report anything that is suspicious or concerning regarding school safety, visit www.hayscisd.net/iwatchtexas.