On Thursday, September 27th, the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety received a report from an alert parent who was monitoring their child’s social media account. The parent saw a post from another student of Grants Pass High School they believed to be a threat to Grants Pass High School. The post was specific and including injuring students at the school.
Initially, the student’s identity was unknown and it was unclear if the threat was being directed at the Grants Pass High School or another Josephine County High School. In the interest of Three Rivers School District student and staff safety, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office was alerted and made aware of the threat.
Grants Pass Police, detectives, along with the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety School Resource Officer subsequently identified the juvenile suspect student and contacted him at his residence. After the investigation was complete, the juvenile was taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct in the First Degree.
At about 7:15 am Friday morning, the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety received another complaint about a possible threat to both Grants Pass High School and North Valley High School. Grants Pass Police, working with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office interviewed several students in regards to the threat that was posted on a Snap Chat site. Grants Pass detectives followed up on several leads but have not made any arrests at this time.
Being less than a month into the new school year, the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety has responded to three of these types of threats, with additional threats being having been reported to Three Rivers School District.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety would like to make certain that the public is aware that all threats to staff and students are taken seriously and will be fully investigated. The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety would like to thank those who have had the courage to say something when they felt something they heard or saw was suspicious.