Harrisonburg and Rocktown high schools are closed on Monday due to a threat allegedly made on the social media app SnapChat.
The Harrisonburg Police Department is investigating the threat.
School systems including Harrisonburg are taking any threat seriously especially in wake of the shooting that killed four at Apalachee High School in Georgia earlier this month.
“After the school shooting in Georgia, school across the country have received a rash of threats,” said Michael Richards, Harrisonburg Public Schools Superintendent. “We are no different.”
Law enforcement is working with SnapChat to narrow down the investigation to specific individuals.
Thomas Harrison Middle School also received a threat on Friday that was determined to be non-credible.
“So far the threats against us have been fairly easily determined to be not credible,” said Richards. “The current one is also most likely not credible, but we don’t take chances. We consider a threat credible until it is proven not to be.”
The superintendent sent the message to school families to “hopefully calm some nerves,” he wrote in the email.
The threat allegedly identifies Harrisonburg High School, but law enforcement wants to speak with several students at both high schools.
Richards said he would send a longer letter to parents that “speaks more to these threats.”
“Please know the safety of our students and staff is my number one priority,” he said.
Harrisonburg High School and Rocktown High School both have walk-through density detectors, according to a report by WHSV. Visitors to the school must also press a call button and show a photo ID before entering any Harrisonburg public school.
Middle and elementary schools in Harrisonburg are operating on a normal schedule.
This story is developing. Augusta Free Press has reached out to Richards and the Harrisonburg Police Department for more information.
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