Just a week after the deadly shooting at a Florida high school, a student from Eastmont Middle School in Sandy took to Instagram. He was upset that a friend of his had been expelled and wrote that he was angry enough to bring a gun to school.
Shortly after the student posted the message on Tuesday night, police were at his door.
“In this particular case, a very alert parent contacted Sandy police because they had seen this language online and police immediately acted on it," said Jeff Haney, spokesperson for Canyons School District in Salt Lake County.
It was after midnight when the police showed up at the boy’s home. Together with district officials, they concluded the threat was not credible and a warning was sufficient.
There was some panic once students and parents got wind of this the next morning. Some felt the district didn’t share enough information and were anxious that no school-wide intervention was taken. Haney says it’s delicate balance.
The district is encouraging all students to download and use the SafeUT app to anonymously inform administrators about worrisome behavior.