(KLFY) — What appears to be a Snapchat message that contains generalized threats has caused multiple high schools to lockdown all over the country this week, including four in South Louisiana on Thursday and Friday.
Jennings High School was placed on lockdown Thursday after a screenshot of a social media post that police believe originated from California was posted to Instagram, Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes said.
Lafayette High School, Livonia High School, and Port Barre High School were placed on lockdown Friday morning after the post circulated among those schools too.
Port Barre’s police chief said the agencies from all three areas worked together to find where the threat came from. They concluded that it stemmed from a student at Livonia High, and the lockdowns for Lafayette and Port Barre High Schools were lifted. The student in Livonia was taken into Livonia Police custody.
But the threat seems to be circulating all over the country, causing schools from Tennessee to California to lockdown.
Police in Sonoma County, California arrested a person suspected of posting a threat on social media that caused two schools in the county to close on Friday. A local police department said the same social media threat was circulated in Lincoln, Califonia, plus in Georgia and Florida.
Police departments, school boards, and news media outlets have made countless social media posts about the apparently bogus threat. News sources from all over have reported that area high schools were placed under precautionary lockdowns that were lifted when it was discovered that the “threat” was not intended for their district.
It is unclear what, if any, charges the suspects in custody for sharing the post in each state face.
In Missouri, more than one suspect was taken into custody for allegedly being responsible for the viral post in St. Joseph, Fox 4 reported.