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APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta confirmed that APS has some extra security in place today, but emphasized that there has been no serious threat of school violence.
“It’s not a threat. It’s a non-confirmed rumor of a Facebook posting of a threat,” Armenta said. She said the district has heard rumors from students about a Facebook post threatening school violence, but no one has been able to locate the post or even confirm its existence. Security has been increased mostly at West Side middle schools, where the rumors are the most pervasive.
Armenta said even though the threats are vague and don’t seem credible, the district wants to make sure students feel safe.
APS said back in September that it would increase security today at Tony Hillerman Middle School, after two students had threatened to “shoot up” the school during third period on 12/12/12, and psychological evaluation of the students deemed the threat credible and serious. Those students no longer attend school at APS, and there is increased security at Hillerman today.
Elena Salazar, principal at Cibola High School sent an announcement to parents and the community stating the school has received no threats regarding today’s 12/12/12 event but said the school will have extra law enforcement on site to be safe.
“Today is 12/12/12, because of the nature of the date, students all over the country are creating rumors about possible school shootings,” said Salazar in a statement. “There are no threats at this time against Cibola. The kids are tweeting names all over the place. We feel confident that we are safe. We will have extra law enforcement today just to be on the safe side.”
