School Shooting Threat Deemed Not Credible

A Lincoln High School student has been disciplined after making a threat on Tuesday.

District information released to parents Tuesday afternoon was provided as follows:

At 12:45 PM on Tuesday, 9/10/2024, [the district] administration was alerted to a threat made by a student, which stated that the student would “shoot up the school tomorrow.”

The threat assessment team convened promptly and determined that the threat was non-credible. However, the statement has been taken very seriously and actions have taken place to ensure a safe school environment.

The principals have applied appropriate school discipline in response to the situation. Please be aware that any threat against Ellwood City Schools will be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping to maintain a safe environment for our students.

Sincerely,
Mr Sovich and Mr Garvin

“Our principals and police investigated and took immediate and appropriate action,” added Superintendent Wesley Shipley.

According to Shipley, the above statement from the Lincoln High School Principals was as detailed as the district could get given the circumstances.

“The threat assessment team was involved and deemed the threat to be not credible. The student was disciplined,” said Shipley. “We will always put the safety and security of our staff and students first and will use the full force of our policies and the law when dealing with those who make threats.”

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th at 2:07 p.m.

Additional information is made available by the district administration to addressed continued rumors:

Dear Ellwood City Families, Staff, and Community,

We want to address the threatening comment and also unfounded rumors that occurred at Lincoln Jr/Sr High yesterday and today. We understand how unsettling these situations can be.

We would like to reassure you that, after a thorough investigation, we have determined the threat made yesterday was non-credible. However, we take all such matters seriously and will be taking appropriate disciplinary action while working closely with law enforcement.

In addition, there are additional rumors of threats circulating today. There are pictures of an unknown young adult who is holding weapons. There is no evidence of a comment or threat associated with these photographs, but it did cause concern in the student body. We have investigated this photo and it is not a Lincoln student. There was a rumor that this individual was a student in a neighboring district, but upon communication with the district, the child was not associated with them. There is no evidence, aside from rumors, we have found during our investigation to associate these photographs with a threat to Ellwood City.

Additionally, we have been informed by students of rumors of threats including a hit list with our students’ names and a rumor of violence at tonight’s middle school football game.  Our team, alongside our school police officer, have investigated all of the rumors that were brought to our attention. Our investigation shows these rumors to be baseless with no evidence. Our football game this evening will occur as scheduled, but out of an abundance of caution we will have an added police presence.

We do appreciate the vigilance of students who report potential threats, and we encourage continued reporting. We commend our students for bringing their concerns to the administration. We do caution that spreading unfounded rumors can hinder our ability to investigate concerns efficiently.

We understand that these events and the culmination of heightened awareness may cause concern for some parents and students. Therefore, if your child was not present today at school or left early, there will be no attendance penalty.

We are committed to ensuring our response to situations is appropriate, swift, and comprehensive and we recognize that communication in these situations is paramount. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to maintain the safety and security of our school community.

Sincerely,
Ellwood City Area School District Administration