Minooka Schools, Police Issue Statement On School Threats

(The following statement was posted on the Minooka school website by school superintendent Kris Monn and Minooka Chief of Police Justin Meyer.)

MINOOKA, IL - On Tuesday, February 20th, Minooka Junior High School Administration was notified by students of an alleged threat on a social media post. This threat was immediately investigated by the administration, who contacted the Minooka Police Department to assist and be involved. After a thorough investigation of the incident, both school administration and Minooka Police concluded there was no credible threat and none of the students or staff of the school were in any danger. An email informing parents of Minooka Junior High School of the investigation and results was sent out on Tuesday evening.

Kris Monn

Since then, misleading and inaccurate information about the threat has been shared on social media which in turn, has created a re-circulation of the initial threat. The spread of these false rumors has elevated the anxiety and fear of the students and community. On Thursday night, Minooka Police were alerted by multiple sources of another online threat that was being shared on social media. The Police Department alerted school officials and acted immediately to investigate the new alleged threat and found that the new posts were only recirculated versions of the original post. Minooka Police determined again that there is no imminent threat at the school and there are no safety concerns for any students or staff.

We applaud the students who had the courage to come forward with the initial threat and continue to encourage kids or adults to come forward and speak out when they hear anything. Anything that is reported to our agency and the school are taken very seriously. Even when the information turns out to be unfounded, it is critical that community members continue to inform police and school officials when threats are observed.

After the recent violence in Florida we understand and empathize with the emotions surrounding school safety and why people across the nation and our community are on edge. However, we can assure you that Minooka Police, Minooka CCSD 201 and all of your government agencies will continue to work to ensure the safety of our students.

At any time and for any event, should you have questions, we encourage parents and residents to direct those concerns to either school administration and police department, rather than rely on social media for your information.

Main Image via Channahon-Minooka Patch files, image of Kris Monn via Minooka schools