Teen charged with social media threats against Leavenworth High School | KCUR

An 18-year-old was charged Tuesday with making a serious criminal threat against Leavenworth High School.

Leavenworth County prosecutors filed charges against Kaden Ray Bentley after he allegedly said he would shoot people at school. Bentley made his first court appearance Wednesday, where his bail was set at $25,000.

“My office takes every threat seriously, especially threats of gun violence regarding schools in our area,” Leavenworth District Attorney Todd Thompson said in a press release.

School districts in the greater Kansas City area and throughout the country have received a wave of threats in the weeks since two students and two teachers were killed in a Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.

Elsewhere in Missouri, police arrested a teenager on Tuesday for possession of a firearm. Online threats against Ritenour High School in St. LouisSchool officials said high school students had warned authorities about the shooting threat.

John McDonald, Chief Operating Officer for the Missouri School Board Association Center for Educational Safetysaid threats in schools are cyclical. They occur throughout the year but increase at the beginning of the school year before subsiding.

Threats increase sharply following mass shootings at other schools or on anniversaries of previous tragedies, such as the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in April.

“This triad of a school tragedy, the start of the school year and just the fascination with what's going on and with these attackers – those three things really capture everyone's attention, and now people are on edge,” McDonald said. “They're worried, they're nervous, and people are taking advantage of that.”

Prosecutors charged five children in Jackson County Juvenile Court with allegedly making threats at local schools. Two minors in Kansas City, one in Lee's Summit and one in Independence were each charged with making terroristic threats.

Another, from Blue Springs, was charged with conduct injurious to health. Hearings in those cases are closed under Missouri law.

Police arrest students at Center Middle School on Monday because of alleged threats.

Several districts in the Kansas City metropolitan area increased security measures last week in response to threats on social media. Kansas City Public Schools said it had increased security measures and conducted regular checks in the area after two of its high schools received threats.

Dr. Jennifer Collier, the district's superintendent, said everyone is on high alert due to the nationwide threats.

“We want them to feel safe and comfortable in school and to perform well,” Collier said. “At the beginning of this school year, some students are afraid to come to school – that's really a painful experience and a challenge for us that we continue to work on.”

Independence police urged residents to report threats but asked them not to share them on social media. Last Friday, officers were called to Truman High School in Independence to respond to a possibly armed student in a restroom.

During the investigation, police received a call about a second armed student in a classroom. Police said the calls were unfounded.

Dr. Dale Herl, superintendent of the Independence School District, said at a Board of Education meeting earlier this week that teachers have spoken to students about the consequences of inappropriate use of social media, including expulsion and legal action.

“I want to make it clear to children that social media is trackable and that the things you post have lifelong consequences,” Herl said.

Concerns about safety in schools can be reported to: Courage2Reportthe Missouri Highway Patrol’s anonymous hotline.