A false school threat about a man with a weapon in the neighborhood of Bel Air High School in El Paso’s Lower Valley on Thursday was deemed to be not credible by law enforcement, an Ysleta Independent School District spokesperson said.
Shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, May 8, Bel Air High School administration learned of a 911 call originating off campus by a male caller claiming to have a weapon in the neighborhood of the campus, YISD spokesperson Tracy Garcia-Ramirez said in an email.
El Paso police and Ysleta ISD security “quickly determined the threat was NOT credible,” Garcia-Ramirez stated.
Students and staff remained safe on campus and classes continued on a normal schedule, she said, adding that safety is the top priority for YISD.
The phony threat on Thursday occurred almost exactly a year to the day that a false threat placed Bel Air High School on a precautionary security lockdown on May 7, 2024. There was also a similar hoax threat on May 26, 2022.
Law enforcement: School threats are no joke
Hoax school threats tend to increase as summer gets closer and the academic year winds to an end, law enforcement officials have said.
The FBI, El Paso Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies warn students that all threats are taken seriously, even if intended as a joke, and have consequences. Such threats can tie up police and emergency resources, disrupt classes and can create false panic.
Students, parents and others are advised that if they see possible school threat posted on social media they should contact police and refrain from forwarding the threats to help prevent the spread of false fears.
Anyone with information on school shooting threats, illegal gun possession and crime on campus may call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS).
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Threat of armed man near Bel Air High School in El Paso turns out false, Ysleta ISD says
Reporting by Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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