ST. LOUIS — This week we've seen a number of threats against schools on both sides of the bi-state, the latest of which came Friday morning at Clayton High School.
Friday morning, Jacob Schwartz was working in the gym at Clayton High School when he was told to evacuate due to a bomb threat.
“There wasn’t any intercom or any alarm,” Jacob Schwartz said. “There was no students in the building today. There was a teacher workshop, so luckily no kids.”
Though the incident appears to be yet another hoax Florissant Police Chief Timothy Fagan says school threats are no laughing matter.
“If you choose to make a school threat, and you are taken into custody by law enforcement, you won’t be going home at the end of the day,” Fagan said.
According to the Courage to Report Hotline there were 113 school threats in Missouri in 2022, and 137 last year, but that number has jumped to 125 school threats just since July.
“There’s a significant amount of law enforcement and school resources that are put into these threats as soon as we’re notified about them,” Fagan said. “It’s been substantial. Obviously, those are resources that can be used and should be used elsewhere.”
While some of these threats can be traced to foreign countries, often they are traced back to teens who tell investigators it was a joke without realizing it’s a federal offense.
"At the federal level you can be sentenced up to 5 years,” FBI Special Agent Ashley Johnson said. “Not a joke. If someone is injured, that sentence can go up to 20 years. Not a joke. If death occurs, you could be facing life in prison. Again, not a joke."
Under federal law, prosecutors can also restitution for the man hours required to track down these bad actors.
“If there is a medical, fire, or law enforcement response that can be part of the judgment itself, and there can also be civil actions as well,” US.. Attorney Sayler Fleming said.
When considering those consequences Chief Fagan wants to make one thing clear.
“These threats are often traumatizing to students, families, and school staff,” Chief Fagan said. “They have to stop.”
Law enforcement officials are continuing to reinforce that if you see a threat, don't share it; instead, call police.
To report a threat to the Courage2Report hotline, click here.