ROOSEVELT, Utah, Dec. 22, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Three students in Roosevelt have been charged with felonies for their comments “encouraging” school violence, officials said.
A statement from Roosevelt City Police Chief Mark J. Watkins says: “Most of us are aware of the recent trend of TikTok and other social media platforms promoting bringing guns to school. Recently the Roosevelt Police Department has investigated a situation where local students shared some messages and comments about school violence through texts or on social platforms. Some conversations even encouraged the act and suggested that they were going to participate in ‘bring your gun to school day.’
“During our investigation, we quickly determined that no threat was imminent, and no guns were taken to our schools. The only senseless act that was committed was the sharing of, and comments in support of, this act.”
Watkins goes on to say that three local students have been charged with a felony for participating in “this senseless act of sharing, commenting or encouraging school violence. The Roosevelt City Police Department will have zero tolerance for such acts and will continue to monitor and aggressively follow up on posts or verbal comments made by individuals if they promote or encourage this kind of behavior.”
The parents of those that were charged have been cooperative and understanding, the statement says.
“I would encourage all parents to talk to their kids about this type of behavior and its consequences as well as monitor their child’s texting and social media activities,” the statement says.
“If questionable texts or posts are found by parents and then brought to RPD’s attention, we will work with those who step up with information. Our children deserve to have a safe, worry-free school environment and we are dedicated to the preservation of school safety in all our schools in our city.”
The statement did not say which school or schools the students attend.
Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement on Dec.16: “Duchesne County Sheriff Travis Tucker has been made aware of a TikTok Challenge circulating that involves a threat of violence in schools across the nation on Dec. 17. We have received no information or indication of threats in the Duchesne School District. We believe this threat is not credible, but the safety of students and community members is the top priority of the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office. We have met with local school leaders and the Roosevelt Police Department to discuss this and we will have an increased presence in schools in our district on Friday the 17th. Please encourage your students to report any threats. If you see something, say something.”
Schools across Utah were on high alert on Dec. 16 and 17 after social media threats in numerous districts, which led to a student at Matheson Junior High School in Draper being taken into custody on Dec. 16. The following day, a student from East High School was arrested after allegedly bringing a gun to school and schools in San Juan County were moved to virtual classes after a “suspicious” device was found.
