Junction City police have announced that on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, the JCPD was informed of threats made on TikTok against Junction City Middle School. The threats were part of a trend that targeted schools across the state. After an investigation by School Resource Officers and USD 475 officials, the threat was determined to be unfounded.
On Friday, September 13th, officers were alerted to additional social media activity, which included a list of names of students and staff from USD 475 posted on Snapchat. After a thorough investigation conducted by detectives through the weekend and into this week, on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, the Junction City Police Department identified a juvenile believed to be responsible for the post. The juvenile was contacted by JCPD detectives, arrested, and transported to the police department. After processing, the juvenile was charged with Aggravated Criminal Threat, a Level 5-person felony, and was later released to their parents.
The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives planning additional interviews in the coming days and weeks. Due to the age of the individuals involved and the active nature of the investigation, no names or further information will be released at this time.
Based on the findings thus far, JCPD does not believe there was ever a credible threat of physical violence at any of the community’s schools. However, they take all such cases very seriously and will continue to pursue criminal charges whenever applicable. They extended their sincere thanks to the community for their vigilance in promptly reporting the concerning posts. Your awareness and swift actions play a crucial role in helping us maintain the safety of the schools.
The Junction City Police Department thanked USD 475, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Riley Police Department, the Geary County Attorney’s Office, Snap Inc., the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their cooperation and assistance in this matter.