FORT PIERCE, Fla. — There are additional law enforcement officers at a Fort Pierce school Thursday after a threat was discovered in a restroom.
A student at Lincoln Park Academy found the threat Wednesday, according to St. Lucie County School District Spokeswoman Lydia Martin.
Officials said the student reported the threat to school administrators, who then contacted their school resource officer and local law enforcement.
The threat, which involved a shooting at the school either Friday or after the Christmas break, is now being investigated.
Martin said additional law enforcement will be at the school both Thursday and Friday.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jon Prince said there are cameras in the school that make it easier to identify who might have made the threat.
"We can kind of identify a timeframe of how long something has been up, and we didn't think (the threat) had been up very long at all," Prince said.
Prince also applauded the student who saw the threat for speaking up to school administration, encouraging anyone else who knows anything to do the same.
"We're interviewing students as we speak, and if anybody saw anything, if anybody said anything, we encourage them to say something to our school administration," Prince said.
If a student is identified for making the threat, they could be expelled or arrested on a possible felony charge.
Below is the full letter sent by the school to parents Wednesday about the threat:
This is Principal Sanabria calling to make you aware of an incident that was reported by a student who saw something and said something regarding a perceived threat to the school campus. Administrators have taken action and are working closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate this matter.
Additional trained and uniformed officers will be on campus for the remainder of the week to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for our students and staff. Safety is of top priority in St. Lucie Public Schools, and we are taking this matter very seriously.
As parents, you can help. Please take this opportunity to speak to your student about the importance of school safety. We want to encourage students to feel comfortable reporting any information they may have that compromises their safety and the safety of others. Working together we can maintain an environment where students are free to focus on learning.
Thank you. If you have questions, please call the school office at 772-468-5474.
