ARNOLD, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
Anxious parents called our newsroom Monday after their children at Fox High School began texting them about rumors of threats of violence and extra police officers on campus. The district says the rumor indicated something would happen Monday, March 15th. Even after school was released Monday afternoon Arnold police squad cars continued to circle the campus.Several officers were requested by the district after a rumor of a threat surfaced over the weekend and quickly spread among the student body.
Ryan Parsons is a student, "I heard there was a hit list on the girls bathroom, seven girls seven guys."
Another student, Jamie Prsha, adds, "Someone was going to shoot 15 people and they had a hit list and it was written in the bathroom or something like that."
The rumors then lead to a lot of texting. Panicked students tried to contact their parents. But other students, like Prsha, say they were never worried because there have been lots of rumors before, "I didn't thinking anything would happen, but everyone else was freaking out."
So what's the feeling like on campus? Student Chad Riddle explains, "Fine. I don't think anyone's too worried about it."
The superintendent sent home a letter with students emphasizing that the threat was just a rumor and students were never in danger. But she also said safety measures have been put into place and the staff remains on high alert.
Rumor or not, students like Parson say the extra officers on campus made them a bit anxious, "It's a little uncomfortable when we have cops all around. Makes people paranoid. A lot of people didn't show up for school today because of the cops."
The district says it's now working to find the source of the rumor.
The Arnold Police Department would not comment about the extra officers on campus.
