UPDATE: Mankato Area Public Schools says social media threat; report of gun at a middle school fabricated

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - UPDATE THURSDAY NIGH: In a follow up to the social media threat first reported Wednesday evening, Mankato Area Public School Superintendent Paul Peterson says the threat on the social media site Snapchat and the report of a student having a gun at Prairie Winds Middle School were fabrication by students.

In the update, Peterson says jokes about school violence are never acceptable and making or sharing inappropriate content or threats on social media has serious consequences, including disciplinary actions from the school and/or legal consequences from law enforcement.

Here is the latest update: “I want to take a moment to thank our families and students for reporting concerning social media activity involving our schools. Mankato Area Public Schools is thankful to Mankato Public Safety for their continued partnership.

Throughout today, public safety and school leaders worked together to address parent, student and staff questions. Many of the inaccuracies that needed correction stemmed from speculation posted on social media by individuals lacking firsthand information.

Today, we are able to provide more details. On Wednesday, a student shared a screenshot from Snapchat that referenced a potential school shooting. While the message did not mention a specific school, we immediately notified Mankato Public Safety and began an investigation. During the investigation, another student shared a screenshot from Snapchat that referenced a gun in the Prairie Winds Middle School lunchroom. After interviewing families, students, and staff it was determined by Mankato Public Safety and MAPS that the social media threat and report of a gun at Prairie Winds were fabricated by students.

These events serve as an important reminder for parents and caregivers to encourage responsible use of social media. Jokes about school violence are never acceptable. Making and/or sharing inappropriate content or threats on social media has serious consequences, including disciplinary actions from the school and/or legal consequences from law enforcement.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in keeping our students and school community safe.”

ORIGINAL STORY: The Mankato Area Public Schools sent a notification to district families Wednesday evening addressing a non-specific threat circulating on social media.

On Thursday, officials from the district said they were informed about the threat by a parent reaching out to a teacher as well as a student reaching out to a trusted adult within the district. Officials say the threat was there was going to be a school shooting. Upon their investigation, school officials as well as the Mankato Department of Public Safety found the threat not to be credible.

The district does have a confidential online reporting process which can be found here.

Below is the message, from Superintendent Paul Peterson, sent to district families late Wednesday evening: “MAPS and Mankato Public Safety were made aware of rumors circulating on social media about potential safety concerns in schools. While we have no reason to believe there is a credible threat to our schools, we take all reports seriously. When situations like this arise, we work closely with local, state and national public safety partners to investigate, share information and make decisions that prioritizes the safety of our students and staff. We worked through one of these cases with Mankato Public Safety today. Fortunately, it was determined there was no credible threat.

Instances like this are a good reminder for all caregivers to remind their children to use social media responsibly. Please discuss with your student the importance of respectful behavior toward their school, teachers, staff members, and classmates at all times. Sharing inappropriate content or threats on social media can have serious consequences from school and community agencies, including disciplinary actions and potential criminal charges.

Students can be the first to hear about concerns, so it’s crucial they feel empowered to report any worries to a trusted adult. Concerns by students, families, and staff can also be submitted anonymously through the confidential online reporting process linked here.

Thank you for your partnership in helping to maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school’s principal.

Thank you for your continued support of Mankato Area Public Schools.

Sincerely,

Paul Peterson

Superintendent.”

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