2 more KY students arrested for school terroristic threatening. ‘Speak with your children.’

Two Eastern Kentucky students from separate schools were arrested Wednesday and charged with terroristic threatening in the latest in a series of incidents that have landed Kentucky juveniles in jail.

A Harlan County High School student was charged with second-degree terroristic threatening, a felony, school district officials said in a Facebook post.

A juvenile student in Floyd County was charged Wednesday with second-degree terroristic threatening involving an incident at Prestonsburg Elementary School, Floyd County Schools district officials said in a Facebook post.

As many as seven Kentucky students have been charged recently with making threats against K-12 schools.

The Harlan County arrest follows an in-depth investigation into threats shared to social media this week, implying the posts targeted Harlan County High School students.

The student was taken into custody by the Harlan County School Police Department officers at the school early Wednesday and transported to a juvenile detention center in Breathitt County.

The investigation revealed the student obtained screenshots from other social media sources and reposted to an “HCHS 2028” Snapchat group.

The student never reported the alleged threats to law enforcement or any school official. By publishing the false statements, the student created fear of death or physical injury among students, parents and school personnel, police said.

“We urge parents and guardians to speak with your children about the seriousness of making and/or sharing social media threats,’’ Harlan County Schools Police Chief Matt Cope said in the Harlan school district statement.

“We have been aware and investigating at least two generic threats being circulated at schools all over the nation which are now being shared by our students and some adults locally. The sharing of the threats by students, parents and others in the community certainly hampers the investigation and creates fear among our students and families. I would hope that parents are responsible and notify school officials or law enforcement when they hear or see any indication of a threat.”

“Both of these threats are non-specific and have been reported all over the country,” Cope added.

One of the threats being reshared by a social media group makes it appear to be a local threat, but the same exact threat is being seen nationwide on various social media platforms, he said

“The students who are resharing these nationwide threats are spreading fear among other students and parents,” said Harlan County Superintendent Brent Roark in the district statement. “We want to assure parents that we are addressing each of these reshared social media posts to the fullest extent possible.”

Roark said the school district’s police department worked diligently to identify the student who reshared the threats in an effort to create and spread fear.

“We will charge those making threats to the fullest extent of the law possible,” he said

In the Floyd County case, Prestonsburg Police, “after a thorough investigation” determined that the student had made implicit threatening statements to other students during the school day, the Floyd school district statement said.

No firearm was found on school property and no students or staff were in imminent danger, Floyd County Schools officials said.