Lakeside School District Superintendent Shawn Cook said Thursday afternoon a student admitted to writing an anonymous threat of a shooting on a restroom wall at the middle school.
"We are investigating an anonymous threat that was found written in a Middle School restroom stating that there would be a shooting, no names were mentioned," Cook posted on the district's Facebook page at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Cook said the incident was reported to the Hot Springs Police Department.
"As a result, you will see an increased police presence on campus today as they work with us to ensure the safety of all students," Cook said. "The safety of your student is our highest priority."
Hot Springs police Cpl. Kirk Zaner said the department conducted a sweep of the school Thursday morning and found no threats. Cook posted a follow-up on Facebook after 2 p.m.
"I'd like to inform you that after a thorough investigation, a student has admitted to writing the anonymous threat in the LMS bathroom that I notified you about this morning," Cook said. "We worked closely with law enforcement officials and no longer feel there is a threat."
Mass shootings have increasingly become a point of contention and concern in the United States. Three of the five deadliest mass shootings in America occurred in the past 17 months, four in the last five years and all five took place in the past decade.
After recent mass shootings in Las Vegas, where a gunman killed 58 people at an outdoor music festival, and Texas, where a gunman killed 26 churchgoers in Sutherland Springs, Columbine High School is no longer ranked among the 10 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S.
Local on 11/10/2017