FBI El Paso speaks on rising trend in school threats

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- FBI El Paso spoke to ABC-7 about the rising trend in school threats the region has seen on a daily basis, with a bigger increase happening this week.

Public affairs officer for FBI El Paso Jeanette Harper told ABC-7 that an increase in hoax calls usually happens after a big event like the Georgia school shooting.

Harper says the reasons for each call vary with each student.

“Most of them think it's legitimately a joke. Others are so stressed out because they're not prepared for the test for the next day,” said Harper.

On September 4, El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks and other agencies in the region released a video about the consequences of making a school threat.

Making a gun or bomb threat can result in felony charges for terroristic threats in El Paso County, a message that was given by DA Hicks when the video was released.

Harper told ABC-7 that it's important to remind students that a felony charge can change the course of their future by preventing them from obtaining scholarships, getting accepted to colleges, and not being able to get an apartment.