(Sentinel-News) – Two Ky. school districts made headlines last week after a tip from a New Jersey woman thwarted a planned attack.
The Sentinel-News reports that despite that bright spot in the news this week, school-related violence is on the rise.
According to the Educator’s School Safety Network, there were at least 3,380 threats recorded nationally in the 2017-18 school year, a 62 percent increase from 2,085 threats in the 2016-17 school year.
And the current number incidents is even more alarming, with a 113 percent increase this past school year.
Social media, says one of the superintendents involved in the recent threat, can partly be blamed for the increase. Even hoax threats are taken seriously by law enforcement.
Kentucky State Police spokesperson Bernie Napier said those making malicious threats could face serious charges, including second-degree terroristic threatening.
“Obviously there is going to be a huge investigation so we can find who made the threat and how credible the threat is,” he said.
The penalty from law enforcement, he said, could result in jail time and hefty fines.
Read the Sentinel-News full storyhere.
