North Vernon, IN—The North Vernon Police Department has investigated 3 school-related threats over the past week. The lead investigator for all 3 incidents has been the department’s School Resource Officer. The summary of those events are as follows:
09/10 – North Vernon SRO was informed a 6th grader made a vague broad threat to the school body on a social media site. This threat referenced prior school shootings. The student was arrested and removed from the school.
09/10 – North Vernon SRO was informed that a 9th grader made a specific threat to two other students while in a classroom. This threat did not involve any of the other students or staff. The student was arrested and removed from the school.
09/16 – North Vernon SRO was informed that an 11th grader announced a vague broad threat overheard by other students while at the school. The student was arrested and removed from the school.
In all three incidents, each student was charged with an allegation of intimidation. No evidence suggests that any of these incidents were coordinated or had prior planning or preparation.
This press release from the North Vernon police department came within hours of a staged sit-in protest from students at Jennings County High School on feeling unsafe in their school.
Before the end o the school day, Nine students were located, detained and brought to the police department by officers following the small gathering leaving school property. The students were charged with truancy and released to a parent or guardian at the police department. It was determined that all nine of the students had not received proper permission to leave the school by school staff and had not been signed out by a parent or guardian per school policy.
Under Indiana Statute IC 20-33-2-23 law enforcement officers may take children into custody during normal school hours if the child is found in a public place.
