East Trails student in Lee's Summit police custody for TikTok threat

The Lee's Summit School District Superintendent says a student was taken into custody after a threatening message was posted on social media referring to a specific school. In a letter to parents Monday night, School District Superintendent David Buck said Lee's Summit police and the FBI responded to a threatening message posted on TikTok regarding East Trails Middle School. Officers identified and made contact with the student associated with that post. “This student was taken into police custody and is not in school today thanks to that quick response,” Buck said in the letter. The statement went on to say that this threat was separate from the nonspecific, vague threat made on social media Sunday into Monday against a number of schools in the greater KC area. Police could not confirm those threats. “Threats like the one we responded to this week disrupt students' learning environments and drain staff resources,” Buck said. “Please help us make it clear to all students that making a threat against a public school, even if it is meant in jest, will result in serious legal and disciplinary consequences.” Buck also offered advice for anyone who sees a threatening post on social media. “Please do not forward it or repost it,” Buck said. “Instead, take a screenshot and share it with our school administration and police. Sharing the post will make it harder to identify the author and will slow down the investigation.”