FBI, police respond to shooting threat at Kapolei Middle School
Police will remain at Kapolei Middle School throughout the day after a threat was made against the school on social media.
The threat was made Thursday on Instagram with a message from an individual saying he or she planned to “shoot up” Kapolei Middle at 8:30 a.m. today. The post is no longer on the individual’s Instagram’s page.
Police have initiated a first-degree terroristic threatening case. There are no arrests at this time.
First-degree terroristic threatening is a class C felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
School officials alerted police of the threat.
Parents of Kapolei Middle students were also notified before school hours today. When students arrived on campus, a “modified lockdown” took place where students had to stay in classrooms.
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Donalyn Dela Cruz, spokesperson for the state Department of Education, said a “lockdown” occurs when no one is allowed to enter or exit the campus.
In this instance, parents were allowed to enter the campus to either drop off or pick up their children.
Police officers were arriving at the school throughout the morning to investigate and patrol the grounds. FBI agents also assisted.
The modified lockdown was lifted at about 9:15 a.m.
“Right now, there’s no imminent danger to the campus. Honolulu police will remain on campus all day,” Dela Cruz said.
“This is a situation that we just don’t take lightly,” she added.
Vigilance is also heightened in the wake of one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings in modern U.S. history. A 19-year-old gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wednesday, killing 17 people.
Nikolas Cruz, a former student, reportedly confessed to law enforcement to the shooting.