Police investigate shooting threat made against Chaffee principal

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Chaffee Police Department is investigating a threat made last week at Chaffee High School.

Superintendent Ken Latham said the school's principal, Brad Blackman, was threatened in a message scrawled in pencil on a small piece of wood under a bathroom sink. Latham said Blackman was mentioned twice in the threatening message.

When asked whether a more general threat was made about a mass shooting, he said it was "something like that," but the threat was mainly directed at the principal.

Chaffee's police chief told a Southeast Missourian reporter no one was specifically targeted in the threat. Rumors of a more general mass shooting threat are circulating on social media.

Latham said police removed the piece of plywood with writing on it as part of the investigation. Blackman did a "real good job" of handling the situation, Latham said.

Latham said he would probably ask for expulsion of the student who made the threat if he is identified.

Chaffee police chief Jim Chambers confirmed his department is investigating.

"There was a threat written on a bathroom wall at Chaffee High School yesterday afternoon. ... We're currently running down some leads, talking to some kids about it," he said.

Chambers declined to provide details about the nature of the message, citing the ongoing investigation, but said it did not specify anyone.

"Nothing specific, really," he said.

Sarah Farquahar, a parent of two children who attend Chaffee High School, said she learned of the threat at the dinner table from her children.

"Why are my kids coming home and telling me about this threat? Why hasn't the school contacted parents to let us know the situation is at least being looked into?" Farquahar said.

She said the students have given police and the school administration information as to who they think the suspect is, but authorities told school officials, who relayed information to the students, that investigators don't have enough evidence.

"The kids have all known this student to turn around on the bus and threaten to kill other students. Multiple incidents have been reported, and this kid is still in school," she said.

When asked about the communication, Latham said officials wanted to keep the information in house and not tell parents until they had more information and figured out who the suspect was.

Chambers said police are taking the threat seriously and will adjust their response based on the results of their investigation.

"I know it's out there in social media, and they have some ... people worried, but we're tracking down some stuff," he said.

Latham said police plan to patrol more around the school and be more visible next week.

"It does not make me feel safe to have the Chaffee Police Department there on Tuesday. They need to pull in other departments," Farquahar said.

Latham said the school's staff is well trained and the schools are secure with buzzer entry.

Farquahar isn't as sure. Her son was instructed the two largest boys in the school are to guard the door and grab anything they can to throw at a shooter if one enters the building, she said. Farquahar's daughter said she was instructed by school personnel for students to throw things at a shooter if one should enter the building.

Of situations like this, Latham said: "You can't just brush it under the rug and say it's not going to happen."

Everybody has a phone and a camera now, he said, and if districts don't take threats seriously, they can come back to haunt them.

"Personal opinion, I'm hoping it's nothing but somebody blowing off some steam," but police are taking it seriously until they know the writer's identity and intentions, Chambers said.

Southeast Missourian reporter Emily Priddy contributed to this story.