School Threats in Texas: FBI Warns Students Their Actions Could Negatively Impact Their Future

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — School threats are on the rise in Texas, and now the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning students that their actions today could negatively impact their future.

“We take these seriously. We know that many of these threats from students or others are intended as a joke or hoax, but we do not treat them as a joke. We treat them all very seriously,” said Assistant Special. Says Officer Christopher Soyez.

From social media threats, emails, phone calls and comments even on gaming apps, agents at the FBI have seen and heard it all.

Officer Soyez explained that these types of threats typically fall under local jurisdiction or a county’s police force because the FBI investigates federal crimes, but we are seeing change.

School-related life threats:

The number is significantly higher than in September last year. According to the FBI, authorities received 13 school-related threats, compared to 66 nationwide this year.

Soyez said it seems simple, but it’s worth repeating these three points: don’t post threats to schools; don’t share them; and remember that there are real consequences for what you post online.

“We’ve seen some local cases recently where the students have been charged with making terrorist threats, which can all be crimes, and those crimes will come back to haunt you, so if you’re applying for a job later in life, apply to college. Know that colleges are now looking at social media and the things you post and connect with, and so these things can harm students in the long run, and we would hate to see something come out that was meant to be a joke was back and really has detrimental effects on your life,” Soyez said.