School official: Oran threat rumor was unfounded

ORAN, Mo. -- Superintendent Mitch Wood said Wednesday some students made "false accusations" against another student that spread, but school officials don't believe there ever was an actual threat made.

Several high school students went to social networking website Twitter on Tuesday night talking about a threat that would be carried out Wednesday, and said many students would stay home to avoid danger.

Wood said the district looked into the accusations of a threat and reported what it heard to police, saying "safety is key at our school." "We handled the situation the way we felt appropriate," Wood said.

Wood said he would not release the number of students not attending school Wednesday. The district usually has between 325 and 350 students in grades kindergarten through 12.

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Oran police two or three weeks ago told him about a possible threat of violence to the school district that was supposed to occur Wednesday.

"At the time, I had offered our services; they said they thoroughly investigated it," Walter said. "Everything that I understand, they followed it through. They've done an investigation with the local PD and the school.

"It turns out after somebody said something, they just added to it. It kind of escalated from there. From what I understand, from what the city officer and police chief had told me, [it] was something completely different, and it just grew."

Parents contacted by the Southeast Missourian didn't want to give their names, but one said she held her son home from school, and another said she was concerned the threat might have been more serious than authorities reported, and said school officials didn't communicate with parents about the investigation.

An Oran police officer who refused to give his name said the threat wasn't genuine. "It happened a long time ago, but there's a particular person in town" who "stirred it up" after hearing about it a couple of days ago.

"It was a comment made [and] taken out of context by a high school student," he said. "It was unfounded. We dealt with it."

The officer said no charges were filed.

"This was something that was handled at school," he said.

Walter said he heard Wednesday morning some parents were going to keep their children out of school that day. "I just heard from a lady that called me today. How many, I have no idea of numbers," Walter said.

Walter said law enforcement in Scott County makes its presence known at all school campuses every morning and at random times during the day.

"I will definitely have cars in that area today," Walter said Wednesday.

He said all the jurisdictions held meetings about conducting regular patrols and had interdepartmental training.

Managing editor Matt Sanders contributed to this report.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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