Twitter message results in lock-down of area schools

Jasper County suspect in police custody

Four area school corporations were put under a lock-down late Friday morning and through afternoon dismissal due to an alleged, non-specific Twitter message - a reported  threat originating in western Fulton County near Kewanna.

The affected schools were Eastern Pulaski, Rochester, Caston and Culver.

"The information came to us regarding an individual listed as Fulton County," said EPCS Superintendent Dan Foster. "We were notified and simply went to a 'soft lock down' to ensure the perimeter doors were locked and nobody entered except being buzzed in each main entrance - which should happen all the time. Additionally, we did not allow outdoor recess or high school students to go to the elementary. This was all done simply as a precautionary measure as we had received no specific threats to any of our students, staff or facilities."

Foster was notified of the threat at about 11 a.m.

The Pharos-Tribune in Logansport reports that Fulton County Sheriff Chris Sailors was notified about an hour earlier by a private cyber security firm about a threatening Twitter message with a Kewanna location tag. Sailors soon notified the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department and the Rochester Police Department. The Pharos-Tribune said the Twitter message read, “Boutta shoot up the school Boys wish me luck,”

At the time he received news of the threat, Foster was escorting Indiana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz around the EPCS campus. She spent nearly three hours touring the elementary, middle and high schools visiting in classrooms and with students, teachers and administrators. 

Ritz continued her tour and left the school about 12:15 p.m. There is nothing to indicate her visit was connected to the threat, according to officials.

Several officers from the county and town police departments arrived at the school as developments unfolded and remained to monitor the situation through the end of the school day. A patrol was also assigned for the Winamac/West Central basketball game Friday evening.

Foster extended his thanks to the local police for all their assistance Friday.

 

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Eastern Pulaski Schools reported on a Facebook Post Friday night, "The individual responsible for the area lockdowns today has been taken into custody." 

 

On Friday evening, WROI radio in Rochester reported that a Jasper County juvenile was questioned and has confessed to authorities that he posted Friday morning's tweet. He is in custody and will be transported to a juvenile facility in Porter County.

 

On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Rochester Police Chief Andy Shotts reported to PulaskiPost, "from my understanding the Fulton County Sheriff's Department and Rochester School Corporation received a call about a Twitter post. I was advised of this situation at approximately 10:30 a.m. The Twitter post stated that someone was about to 'shoot up a school' and it was originally thought that the post came from someone in the Kewanna area.

"The (Rochester) school corporation went on lock down as a precaution, and they did this on their own. With the possible threat being non-specific to a school, we placed officers in each one of our schools here in Rochester. That consists of two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Again this was done as a precaution to ensure the safety of all students and staff. 

"This was a combined effort between the Fulton County Sheriff's Department, Indiana State Police, and the Rochester Police Department. We immediately began to investigate where the post originated from and to track that person down.  The Indiana State Police's Cyber Crimes Unit was instrumental in doing so. By the end of the school day, it appeared that the person who made the threat was not from our area. Schools released students as usual. Soon after, it was believed that the person who made the threat was from the Jasper County area. At approximately 5:30 p.m., officers from the Jasper County Sheriff's Department located and questioned a juvenile who admitted to making the post on Twitter.  That juvenile was taken into custody."

 

 

Developing story; details will be added as received.