Lockdown due to social media threat at East St. Louis High School ends, students dismissed

The lockdown at East St. Louis Senior High School has ended and students were dismissed as normal, District 189 officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier Wednesday morning, the school went into lockdown after district officials were alerted to a social media post threatening violence, according to a message sent from Superintendent Arthur Culver to all district families and staff.

The district also worked with law enforcement to ensure the safety of students and staff while school continued, Culver’s statement reads.

Later in the day, the district saw another threatening social media post naming the high school as well as Mason-Clark and Lincoln middle schools. Because of the existing lockdown at the high school, “security and staff at the middle schools were already on heightened alert, which allowed for a swift and prepared response,” Culver wrote.

At about 1:30 p.m., the district received a report of a “suspicious individual” near two campuses, which prompted immediate lockdowns and Mason-Clark Middle School and East St. Louis Senior High School, according to the statement. Law enforcement determined the allegation was unfounded and issued the all-clear at about 1:45 p.m.

“We understand that threats and lockdowns can cause stress and anxiety for many students, staff and families,” Culver wrote. “It is natural to feel unsettled during such incidents, and we are committed to supporting the well-being of our entire school community. Students are encouraged to request school counseling or social work services if they would like assistance processing these events.

“While threats of violence on social media are unfortunately becoming more common across the St. Louis / Metro East Region and nation, most are not credible. However, we take every threat seriously, and we enacted lockdowns today to ensure the safety of our school communities.”

Culver asked parents to refrain from attempting to pick up students during a lockdown to ensure law enforcement can secure the perimeter of an affected school and keep the school safe from external threats.

He concluded by sharing that potential safety issues can be confidentially reported by calling 618-515-2165 or emailing speakup@estl189.com.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Wyvetter Younge Higher Education Campus in East St. Louis was also locked down Wednesday morning after university police received information of a possible threat, according to an emergency alert. An additional alert issued at 11:15 a.m. said that police determined the threat was not specific to the campus and that the lockdown was lifted.

Cahokia High School was also in a lockdown Wednesday.

District 187 Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said after the school’s security team learned of a social media threat and he talked to staff at the high school, it was determined the best way to go was to put the high school on a “soft lockdown.”

“We take any and all threats very seriously. So, to make sure everyone is safe, we went to the soft lockdown,” he said. This was communicated to parents via robo-calls and text messages.

A soft lockdown is a modified version of an actual lockdown during which students have limited ability to travel within the building, McCall said. The school’s security officers and Cahokia Heights Police Department are investigating the situation, he said.

Last week, the principal of Belleville East High School sent a communication to parents regarding widespread social media posts threatening school safety nationwide. While District 201 did not believe the threat to be credible, it worked with law enforcement to monitor the situation.

“This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats,” the statement said. “Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff.

“We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online. Ensuring a safe and secure learning environment requires all of us. Thank you for reinforcing this message to our students.”

School districts across the St. Louis region and the nation have dealt with online threats since Sept. 4 when two students and two teachers were killed in a school shooting in Georgia.

In a news release Wednesday afternoon, the FBI field office in Springfield stressed the consequences of making hoax threats against a school or other public space amid an uptick in recent months.

“Hoax threats can have devastating consequences, both for the public and the perpetrators,” the release states. They also have a larger societal cost as local law enforcement agencies’ limited resources are diverted, it adds.

Most cases are handled by local law enforcement agencies, the release reads, but the FBI often provides resources and guidance in investigations.

“The FBI takes every single hoax threat very seriously because they put innocent people at risk and can cause severe emotional distress for victims,” Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson said in the release. “Making hoax threats is not a prank, it’s a federal crime that can result in prison time.

“As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”