FALSE ALARM
Text messages cause high school lockdown
By Lori Mellinger editor@bullardnews.com

In the wake of last week's threat at Bullard High School, Superintendent Jim Wright had some words of caution for students.

"What some students might consider a prank - is - by law - considered a felony," Wright said. "I would ask all students to use their best judgment when it comes to their actions."

Bullard High School was on lockdown for three hours on Friday after a student allegedly received text messages on her cell phone threatening violence on the campus.

And while it remained only a threat, staff and administration took no chances.

Principal Scott Franks put the campus on Code Yellow alert - part of the district's emergency operations plan that - Wright said - mirrors that of the National Terror Alert scale.

"Basically what Code Yellow means is students are locked into classes until further notification," Wright said. "It's a mid-range alert on the scale, where the threat is elevated, staff inspects buildings and grounds for suspicious activity, authorities are notified and alternative communications capabilities are tested."

He said that there are five color alerts with green being the lowest and red being the highest.

"Our first thoughts are the safety of our students," Wright said. "And every threat is taken seriously."

Students were safely dismissed at the regular time, but the pep rally was canceled.

Franks wrote a letter, detailing the day's events, and sent a copy home with each student.

"We felt this was the best way to communicate with the parents," Wright said.

School officer John Walker and Bullard police officer Brian Richards were at the scene on Friday assisting the campus and staff.

"What we had, basically, were text messages sent to a female student from an AOL account to her cell phone," Richards said.

Richards and Wright contacted AOL and AT&T to help identify the sender of four messages sent at about 7 a.m. telling the female student not to attend school because a shooting would happen.

She didn't know who sent the messages, Richards said.

Police Chief Gary Lewis said the text messages - although specific in intent - were not specific as to location.

"They didn't name the school," he said. "So while it was serious in nature, we still aren't sure if it was directed at Bullard."

Lewis said it's tricky to track down.

"We've talked to AOL, and they are working on their end," he said. "But the volume of text messages sent in any given period

is so great, it's not easy."

Lewis also said he's contacted the Cherokee County District Attorney's office and they are working on a subpoena for AOL's records.

"Kenny Ray (of the Texas Rangers) is assisting us by working with AT&T," Lewis said.

Police are also talking to other students.

The crime - a terroristic threat - could be enhanced with felony charges, Lewis said, because a school was involved in the threat.

How it's prosecuted, however, will depend on whether it's an adult or juvenile case.

The last time a threat was posed to the campus was in 2006 when a bomb threat was called into the office.

Students were taken to the middle school gym where they were either released to their parents or waited for the regular bus schedule.

Bullard police were able to identify the call had originated from a student's cell phone and charges were brought against the student.

"Certainly everyone needs to be aware that - whether it's a prank or a serious threat - it affects the education of all the students," Wright said. "And it increases their anxiety levels."

Wright said a team would review precautions taken on Friday and assess if everything was handled appropriately.