El Paso FBI sees disturbing trend of online school threats

EL PASO, Texas — The El Paso office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has seen a disturbing trend of online threats against public places, including schools, after two El Paso area high schools were recently on high alert from a hoax threat. 

FBI Special Agent Jeanette Harper says online threats against schools are becoming more common now that kids are out of quarantine and back in the classroom. Most of these threats are usually a hoax. 

“These threats are not a joke. They have devastating consequences on our community. Just the stress and the undue fear that it causes,” Harper explained. 

According to Harper, these threats are a federal crime and are punishable up to five years in a federal prison. 

Two El Paso high schools, Americas and El Dorado, both experienced an online threat recently. Americas had a significant police presence at their school last week because of the threat.

“And just like the FBI said, this is something that we don’t play with,” Marivel Macias, an assistant superintendent at Socorro Independent School District, explained. 

The district and school sent out notifications to students’ parents about the threat. Macias says communication and trust are key in these types of situations. 

Harper said the people who send these threats out are usually trying to seek revenge, assert control, or are playing out a fantasy they have thought of. There are also kids who are copycats and make a threat online after seeing it done in another school. 

Macias says SISD schools teach their students the dangers of making any hoax threat. The kids making these threats are usually looking for attention, Macias says, and the schools are trying to promote a more appropriate way for students to outcry. 

“To go to one of our counselors, one of our teachers, go to a friend,” Macias explained.