Threat made at Smith-Cotton Junior High School deemed ‘not credible,’ officials say

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Officials say a threat a student made at Smith-Cotton Junior High School in Sedalia on Wednesday was not credible.

The Sedalia Police Department wrote on its social media that after a threat was made on social media on Wednesday morning, a school resource officer detained the student.

“The threat was found not be credible and at no time were students placed in a dangerous situation,” police wrote.

Police wrote the investigation is ongoing. The district sent an email to families on Wednesday.

“The Sedalia School District Administration works alongside our law enforcement partners in the community in order to quickly identify and neutralize any threat or perceived threat. This might mean our school resource officers from the Sedalia Police Department and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office are knocking on doors at midnight and administration is making phone calls and investigating online at all hours of the day or night,” the letter says. “Sedalia 200 is truly blessed to have such strong relationships with our law enforcement agencies. More rural schools across the country are much more isolated and emergency personnel could be miles away. Seconds and minutes count when a true threat presents itself.”