Bend boy, 12, arrested in Cascade MS shooting threat
(Update: More comments from school officials; adding Three Rivers false threat)
A 12-year-old Bend boy was arrested Monday on charges he made an online threat of a shooting at Cascade Middle School during a weekend video game chat, prompting extra police presence at the school and 40% of students to stay away.
Bend police learned from Deschutes County 911 dispatchers shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday that a local juvenile had received an online threat toward the school while on a gaming site, Lt. Juli McConkey said.
Bend police worked with the FBI through the night to investigate the origin of the threat, McConkey said. Meanwhile, after a screen shot and other details spread virally on Facebook, the school’s principal notified parents by email of the threat and plans for an added police presence on Monday.
On Monday morning, the FBI contacted a family in Lane County from whose home the posts were made, McConkey said. Investigators were able to determine that the Bend juvenile was in the area visiting family and used the Xbox device.
Bend police contacted the responsible juvenile, who was back in the Bend area, McConkey said. The juvenile admitted to ” trolling, ” using an X-box ” gamertag ” (screen name) to harass other players, she said.
The juvenile was arrested Monday morning on a charge of first-degree disorderly conduct. McConkey said the investigation also ” found no means to carry out the threat, therefore (it) has been deemed non-credible.
” Bend Police reminds residents (that) all threats to schools are taken seriously, ” McConkey said in a news release. ” All threats, credible or not, are taken as such. We also thank families and students for reporting threats and rumors as they happen. The safety of our community is our top priority. ”
” We want to remind our community – adult and juveniles alike – that if you see something, say something, and to practice responsible social media habits, ” she added.
Despite an increased police presence, about 40% of students were absent, four times the norm, officials said.
After the online chat that apparently threatened violence was widely disseminated, many parents said they would keep their children home.
About 40% of the 800 Cascade students were absent Monday morning, compared to a typical Monday of about 10% not in class, Bend-La Pine Schools spokeswoman Julianne Repman said.
Neither police nor Repman would say whether the arrested boy was a Cascade Middle School student, only that he lived in the Bend area.
With patrol cars on hand and officers joining staff at the school’s doors, there were still many students showing up for class on buses or in a steady stream of parents’ cars, hours before the arrest was announced.
The widely disseminated chat exchange involved a video game user who urged a student to skip school Monday — and when asked why, replied, ” Bang ” — but later claimed it was a joke, a school official said.
In a letter emailed to parents Sunday evening, Cascade Principal Stephen DuVal related the details of what occurred and the concern that spread virally on Facebook earlier in the day, prompting some parents to say they wouldn’t allow their children to attend school Monday due to the threat.
DuVal said the online exchange occurred in a chat on an Xbox gaming system with a person known only by their ” gamertag , ” their ” alter ego in the Xbox world. ”
On a widely shared image, one gamer said to another, ” Don’t go to school Monday. ” The other person asked why, adding, ” Do u even know my school, ” The other chat participant stated Cascade Middle School. When asked, ” Why can’t we go to school? ” the reply was simply, ” Bang. ”
DuVal added that schools ” will support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for the disruption that this will likely cause to our learning environment. ”
It was the third serious safety concern to arise at Central Oregon schools in less than a week, along with a fourth, unfounded threat. A fifth occurred later Monda .
On Wednesday, Redmond’s Elton Gregory Middle School was placed under lockdown for about 15 minutes, until police detained a student who was using a knife to carve into a wall and bench.
On Thursday, a 21-year-old Bend man was arrested at his home and a shotgun seized after a threat to harm students and staff at Bend Senior High School was posted on the social media website MeetMe , police said.
Another online rumor, of a shooting threat Friday at Crook County Middle School, was investigated and determined to be unfounded, Prineville Police Chief Dale Cummins told NewsChannel 21.
On Monday afternoon, a 14-year-old student at Three Rivers School in Sunriver was arrested on charges he made up a story of overhearing a planned shooting threat on Tuesday, in what officials called a ” copycat ‘ incident stemming from the Cascade Middle School incident.
Here is the full text of the email DuVal sent to Cascade Middle School families:
” Dear Cascade families,
” Our partners at the Bend Police Department are currently investigating the report of a threatening statement made to a youth during an online gaming text exchange this weekend. Bend Police say the youth was engaged in a chat on a home gaming system with a person only known by a gamerta g *. During the exchange, the gamer told the youth not to go to school on Monday. According to those involved, the gamer later claimed to be making a joke.
” We, and our law enforcement partners, take all threats to our staff and students’ safety seriously. The identity of the suspect gamer is currently being investigated by law enforcement teams, and we will support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for the disruption that this will likely cause to our learning environment.
” It is our understanding that screenshots of the exchange have been circulating around student and parent social media accounts this afternoon. Many of our students may be talking about this by the time school begins tomorrow morning. I thought that a quick email to you tonight to share what I know would help you to answer any questions that your student(s) may have for you and to calm any fears that they may have regarding this situation and the ensuing rumors going around.
” Out of an abundance of caution, we will be taking steps to increase security and the safety of our students and staff through added police presence on and around our campus. We believe that our school is safe for all students and staff. We also understand that by informing you of this threat we run the risk of giving the person who made the threat the attention they seek or other students copying this behavior.
” I greatly appreciate our students and parents having open lines of communication with our staff and law enforcement regarding rumors that they are hearing . The safety of our students and staff is paramount and any and all threats, credible or not, are taken as such.
” That said, I always encourage our students and parents to contact the main office, share tips through Safe Oregon, or call 9-1-1 at any time to share information about threats to their safety or the safety of their school.
” Thank you for your continued support.
” Stephen DuVal ,
Principal
Cascade Middle School
541-355-7002
” *According to Microsoft, ” A gamertag is your alter ego in the Xbox world. It’s made from an alias, an optional avatar or picture (called a gamerpic ), and a bit of info to represent you when you’re playing games and sharing with other people in the Xbox community. ”
Bend- La Pine Schools said they’ve adopted the Student Threat Assessment to better respond to potential threats.
” It has the FBI seal of approval that helps to take a look at students and determine is this aggression or violence, ” Repman said Monday. ” Also, it helps to see if we can engage community partners find students ways to be more successful and really interfere with that action of the violence piece. ”
The Student Threat Assessment protocol is a Level 1 investigation, and can become a Level 2, if needed. The Cascade principal said that on Tuesday, every class will go over the reporting tools available to students, if they learn about a threat.
