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Students leave school early after receiving shooting threats online

FREE WVTM 13 APP. AS THE THREATS ARE MADE AGAINST SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN THE AREA TODAY, PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE AFRAID AND WILL NOT TAKE ANY RISKS. WVTM 13 MAGDALA LOUISSAINT SPEAKED TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS AT ONE OF THESE SCHOOLS ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS, FEARS AND WHAT PEOPLE ON CAMPUS WERE SAID BEFORE THE SCHOOL BELL COULD RING AT 340. YOU CAN SEE PARENTS LEAVING THE SCHOOL BUILDING WITH THEIR CHILDREN. EVERYONE WAS JUST AFRAID AND NERVOUS. STUDENTS AT HUFFMAN HIGH SCHOOL SAY THERE WAS TALK IN THE CLASSROOM ON MONDAY MORNING ABOUT A SHOOTING THREAT. ONLINE NAMING NAMES OF HUFFMAN CENTER POINT AND CLAY-CHALKVILLE HIGH SCHOOLS FORCED HER TO CALL HER PARENTS TO PICK THEM UP. I GOT IN MY SECOND HOUR AND THEY ALL SAID OUT LOUD ABOUT IT AND SAID OH WE'RE GETTING SHOT. AND THEN I CALLED MY MOM AND SAID COME AND PICK ME UP. JEFFERSON COUNTY AND BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS TELLING PARENTS AND US THEY KNOW ABOUT THE POSTS TARGETING EASTERN AREA SCHOOLS. VENUS MCCOWAN SAYS SHE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY RISKS. THIS IS SCARY. AS IF IT WAS SCARY. WHEN SHE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME. I THANK YOU, WOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS AT OTHER SCHOOLS BUT I GUESS IT MADE ME AWARE WHEN IT HAPPENED AT YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL. BIRMINGHAM AND JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES DEALING WITH THIS THREAT RIGHT NOW. CULLMAN CITY SCHOOLS INCREASED SECURITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE TO REPORT THAT THERE WAS A THREAT TO CULLMAN HIGH SCHOOL. HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT SAYS THE SCREENSHOT OF THE POST WAS REPORTEDLY DELETED TO POLICE INVESTIGATORS BEFORE IT COULD BE SEEN BY POLICE INVESTIGATORS. OUT OF EXCESSIVE CAUTION, THEY HAVE INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE IN AND AROUND THEIR COMMUNITIES. BACK AT HUFFMAN, PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE NOT SURE IF THEY WILL BE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM TOMORROW OR FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THEY ARE NOT FUNNY. THEY JUST ARE NOT SERIOUS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BE FUNNY BECAUSE MANY SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN OVERSHOOTED. ALL OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS WE HAVE TALKED TO SAY THEY ARE TAKE THESE THREATS SERIOUSLY AND HAVE EVEN INVOLVED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. BIRMINGHAM AND JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS TELL US THAT POLICE DO NOT CONSIDER THIS PARTICULAR THREAT CREDIBLE.

Students leave school early after four central Alabama high schools receive online shooting threats

Before the school bell rang at 3:40 p.m., parents could be seen leaving Huffman High School with their children. “Everyone was just scared and nervous,” said Dairian Villatoro, a junior at Huffman High. Huffman High students reported conversations about an online shooting threat against Huffman, Center Point and Clay Chalkville high schools. Many called their parents to pick them up. “I got to my second period and they were loudly saying we were going to get shot. That's when I called my mom,” Villatoro explained. Both the Jefferson County and Birmingham City school districts confirmed they were aware of the post threatening schools in the east. Venus McHoward, a mother, wasn't taking any chances. “This is scary. When she called me and told me, I was like, 'Wow.' This has happened at other schools, but I guess it hits you hard when it happens at your child's school,” McHoward said. Cullman City Schools also increased security measures after police received a call about a threat to Cullman High School. The district said, “Although the screenshot of the post was reportedly deleted before it could be viewed by police investigators, they have increased police presence on all of our campuses and surrounding areas out of an abundance of caution.” At Huffman, students and parents are unsure if they will return to the classroom the next day or for the rest of the week. “They're not funny,” Villatoro said. “This is nothing to joke about. There have been shootings at many schools.” School administrators stressed that they take these threats seriously and have called police. Authorities have determined this particular threat is not credible.>> WVTM 13 ON THE GO: Download our app for free

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama —

Before the school bell rang at 3:40 p.m., parents could be seen leaving Huffman High School with their children.

“Everyone was just scared and nervous,” said Dairian Villatoro, a junior at Huffman High.

Huffman High School students reported online conversations about a shooting threat against Huffman, Center Point and Clay Chalkville high schools, and many called their parents to pick them up.

“I came to my second class and they were making loud announcements saying we were going to be shot. That's when I called my mom,” Villatoro explained.

Both the Jefferson County and Birmingham City school districts confirmed they were aware of the post threatening schools in the east. Venus McHoward, a mother, was taking no chances.

“It's scary. When she called me and told me, I was like, 'Wow.' This has happened at other schools, but I guess it hits you hard when it happens at your child's school,” McHoward said.

Cullman City Schools also increased security measures after police received a call about a threat to Cullman High School. The district said, “Although the screenshot of the post was reportedly deleted before it could be viewed by police investigators, they have increased police presence on and around all of our campuses out of an abundance of caution.”

Back in Huffman, students and parents are unsure if they will be able to return to school the next day or for the rest of the week.

“They're not funny,” Villatoro said. “This is nothing to joke about. There have been shootings in many schools.”

The school administration stressed that it takes these threats seriously and has contacted the police. The authorities have come to the conclusion that this specific threat is not credible.

>> WVTM 13 ON THE GO: Download our app for free

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