Online 'Threat' to Schools in Caddo & DeSoto Causes Investigation

Sadly, it seems like every month there's some sort of tragedy happening at a school somewhere in the country. And due to that, law enforcement agencies across the US are taking any threat or anything that could even be perceived as a threat very seriously. How many times in recent memory has a student been arrested for 'terrorizing' based on something they said or posted online? It's becoming more and more common.

With that in mind, earlier today, the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office announced that they were investigating claims of a potential online threat to several public schools - including those located in DeSoto Parish & Caddo Parish.

Here was the original post from the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office that was posted online around 9:30 am on Monday September 9th, 2024:

The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office and DeSoto Parish Schools have been made aware of a social media post that was shared within the past 24 hours. At this time, it is believed that a live video was shared where an individual insinuated a threat targeting various schools in Caddo and DeSoto Parishes.
We simply want the public to know that this matter is under an active investigation, and that no real threat has been identified at this moment that should cause the public any alarm. Given the nature of the matter, and as is standard procedure, we have increased man-power at and around all of our DeSoto Schools until any/all information that can be obtained is properly investigated. We are actively working alongside the DeSoto Parish School Board to communicate any new information as it arrives to our office.

It is important to note that while threats such as this happen all-to-often all around our nation, and especially right after tragic news in other areas, we will always take every threat with the utmost seriousness. If at any moment our office believes there to be a legitimate danger to students or staff, we will inform all residents instantly through the DeSoto Sheriff App and Social Media. As of this moment, no threat or cause for alarm has been identified.

Several hours later, the DPSO posted an update to the story. According to the update, after further investigation & contacting the FBI, it appears that these 'threats' were made by multiple TikTok accounts to try and "stoke fear and panic" in the public. They added "While this investigation will continue and security at our schools will remain a priority, at this time we can confidently say that these specific threats appear to be coming from the same source, which is not believed to local." They even went as far as to put "THREAT" into quotations, that would leave one to believe that these threats are nothing more than online nonsense.

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However, due to the nature of the threats, the investigation remains open. DPSO is asking that anyone that has any info about these alleged threats to contact them and send any evidence their way.

We are asking all students and other TikTok users:
If you have been a witness to any of these threats, have screenshots, or screen recordings, call our office at (318) 872-3956 and ask to speak with an investigator. If you should see any such threats on ANY platform in the future, please be sure to screenshot or screen record anything that would assist the FBI, TikTok, and our agency in locating and holding accountable the holders of the account(s). This includes account usernames, time it was shared, or any other defining characteristics that may assist in this ongoing investigation.

Caddo Correctional Center Booking Photos August 31st- September 6th

The following booking photos are those who were booked in to Caddo Correctional Center this week. All those pictured are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Gallery Credit: Caddo Correctional Center