By SALINA POST
The Salina Police Department (SPD) is investigating a shooting threat made against the Salina Central High School homecoming dance, which resulted in the arrest of a 16-year-old female student.
According to SPD Captain James Feldman, the FBI notified SPD just after 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, after receiving a tip about a threat made via Snapchat.
The threat, which was directed at the Salina Central homecoming dance, stated an intention to "shoot up the dance." The FBI promptly relayed this information to the Salina Police Department.
Officers quickly identified the suspect, a 16-year-old Salina Central High student, and located her at her residence on Hillside Drive in Salina. The juvenile was not present at the dance, as the event had not yet begun by the time police were alerted.
"They [suspect] had no access to guns and never made it to the school function," Feldman said
Although it remains unclear when the Snapchat threat was initially made, SPD arrested the student on charges of criminal threat. She was transported to the Saline County Jail and later transferred to the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City.
Feldman said SPD officers are working to determine when the threat was made.
"We're trying to follow up on that information right now that may take a while. We're doing search warrants," Feldman said. "Maybe a week, possibly two. It just depends on how quickly we get the warrant to Snapchat."
The Salina Central homecoming dance proceeded as scheduled and concluded at 10 p.m.
At 2:00 p.m. on Sept. 30, USD 305 sent Salina Central High School families a message from Superintendent Linn Exline.
The message reads:
Central High Families,
Nothing matters more than keeping our students and staff safe every day. To make sure you have accurate information, I want to share what details I can regarding the threat made on the evening of Central High’s homecoming.
On Saturday evening, the Salina Police Department notified Salina Public Schools that an investigation into a school threat for the Central High homecoming dance was underway. The district was provided few details about the active police investigation. The SPD worked quickly to ensure safety, and before the dance started, the SPD had the individual in custody.
Several parents reached out to me asking for information about our notification procedures in situations like this. Since the threat was reported to the SPD and they had the student in custody prior to the dance, we did not notify parents.
I understand that the timing of the SPD press release and news coverage didn’t make it clear that SPD had the student in custody prior to the dance. I also understand that absent a statement from us, the press release was worrisome and you were left with questions about your student’s safety.
It takes all of us working together to keep our students and staff safe. Please take this opportunity to talk to your student(s) about the importance of reporting anything unusual, even if it could be a joke or hoax. Remind them if they hear or see anything, they should tell you, share with a school employee, or even call the police.
Making a report is always the right thing to do.
-Linn Exline, SuperintendentSalina Public Schools
. . .
Original Post on Sept. 28
Salina Police and officials with USD 305 are investigating an alleged threat about a shooting at school dance and have made an arrest.
On Saturday evening, the Salina Police Department became aware of a threat made against Central High School via social media, according to a media release from Salina Police.
An immediate investigation was undertaken that revealed a 16-year old Central High Student made comments about “shooting everyone at this dance.”
Further inquiry by officers and school resource officers identified the “dance” to be the Salina Central Homecoming dance. USD305 and school officials were notified, and the juvenile was located by officers away from the school.
Police arrested the juvenile for alleged criminal threat and transported to the Saline County Jail with eventual transfer to the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City.
Based on the investigation, there does not appear to be any further threat to students or staff at Central High, according to Salina Police.
The Salina Police Department appreciated the collaboration with District and School staff in ensuring the safety of students, and strive for prompt investigations and actions to ensure everyone’s safety.
The Salina Central Homecoming dance will go on as scheduled and will conclude at 10 p.m.