School shooting threat at Richton Park high school found on bathroom mirror: Officials
RICHTON PARK - A message warning that a school shooting will take place on Thursday was written on a bathroom mirror at a high school in Richton Park, school officials confirmed.
Officials say the message was found in the girls' restroom at Rich Township High School's Fine Arts and Communications Campus.
The school responded to the message in a letter to parents, stating that the school is taking the threat seriously. The Richton Park Police Department was immediately contacted.
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"We have concluded that the threat is not creditable, but we are taking all precautions to keep students and staff safe," Co-principals Larry Varn and Janice Wells wrote in a letter to families Wednesday. "We will increase security at both campuses by screening as students are entering the building tomorrow."
Richton Park Police Chief Demitrous Cook said the department is aware of the threats and have allocated the manpower to address this concern.
"We are taking the threats to our school district very seriously and we are working with neighboring police jurisdictions to keep our community safe," Cook said in an emailed statement.
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The precautions include having local police on campus, thorough bag checks and a weapon detecting canine team, which is trained to detect dangerous weapons, according to the letter.
"We are very grateful to the students who reported this incident to the proper authorities, and we encourage all students to say something whenever they observe inappropriate occurrences or strange activity at school," the letter states.
The principals went on to warn students against making threats, stating consequences may include suspension and fines.
Distressed students are encouraged to connect with staff to get support.