2 Irving students arrested for bringing guns to school; other districts react to threats

Two Irving ISD students were arrested Friday and accused of making a threat of violence toward a student and bringing weapons to MacArthur High School, according to the Irving Police Department — an incident separate from a hoax threat of school violence that has been concerning parents across the state.

A hoax threat that originated out of Florida and circulated across Texas on social media caused confusion for worried parents, Irving police told the Star-Telegram.

“We realized that the person that posted it and shared it was actually trying to bring awareness, not make a threat,” police said as some viewed it as a threat to Nimitz High School, also in Irving ISD.

Parents from numerous schools throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area began calling police Friday morning due to concerns regarding the social media hoax threat, Irving police spokesman Robert Reeves told the Star-Telegram.

The district sent out a notice via phone call and email addressing the hoax and told parents there were no known credible threats being made toward any schools or students in the area.

Shortly after the district notified parents of the hoax, Irving police received a tip regarding two male students who each had a handgun on their person at MacArthur High School.

The two students were not threatening anyone or the school with the weapons, according to police. Although district officials said Irving ISD administration received a tip indicating a threat of violence was made against a student from MacArthur High School.

“Based on the tip, it appears the threat stemmed from a personal argument between students,” district officials said in a statement.

School resource officers and school administrators “responded accordingly” and put the school “on hold” for about 10 minutes, police said. Irving ISD officials notified parents about the students who were armed.

Police found and isolated the two students who were armed and conducted a search on each. One of the students is 15 years old. The other student is 16.

Police confirmed both had guns and were arrested for possessing a firearm in a prohibited place.

“We were able to determine the threat was credible and two prohibited weapons were confiscated. The threat has been resolved. The campus has been secured, and the school day resumed as normal,” district officials said.

Police also said there were never any threats toward the campus and that the hoax threat was not connected to the two armed students.

The two male students were transported to a juvenile detention center in Dallas. Their names have not been released due to their age.

The district said it would have increased security measures in place for the remainder of Friday and additional safety screening will be implemented for the remainder of the school year.

“Irving ISD is proud of how our team responded to the threat to quickly ensure the safety of our students and staff to prevent harm against any individual,” the district said Friday. “We would like to thank the community members who reported their concerns to the district. As always, the district is committed to a partnership with our students, families, and community to ensure that all threats of violence affecting our schools are addressed immediately.”

Other North Texas schools respond to threats

On Friday morning, Azle High School went on lockdown after a school employee received a phone call from someone claiming to be at the school with weapons, according to a news release from the Azle Police Department.

Police searched the school but did not find any danger. They are investigating the source of the threat.

Officials with other North Texas school districts issued statements saying they are aware of the unsubstantiated threats spreading across social media.

The Fort Worth school district said in a tweet Friday afternoon: “FWISD is aware of a concerning social media message initiated out of state and now circulating various District campuses today. District officials have taken action to address the concern with each affected campus and remain vigilant in an abundance of caution.

“Please know that the safety of all students is our top priority, and we work closely with authorities to ensure the necessary measures are taken. Remember that social media threats have serious consequences.”

Lake Worth ISD posted a similar statement.