OAK PARK HEIGHTS, Minn. — A lockdown has been lifted Stillwater Area High School, and school officials say "at no point was there a legitimate threat to student safety" as law enforcement investigated reports of an alleged social media threat on Tuesday morning.
According to an email sent by Principal Rob Bach, the school began working with local law enforcement agencies to investigate where the posts came from.
Stillwater Area High School, which is located in Oak Park Heights, was placed into a modified lockdown around 10:15 a.m. as a precaution, Bach said in an email obtained by KARE 11.
Just before 11 a.m., Bach sent another email to parents announcing that the modified lockdown was lifted and the school is back to normal operations. For students still at SAHS, they will continue their day with their normal class schedules and school buses will take them home after school like normal.
He added that there was no real threat to students.
"When social media threats are made it is crucial that your child report any knowledge of the source of the post or other posts of concern to school officials as soon as possible," Bach wrote. "This allows for an investigation to determine facts in an effort to dispel rumors that create a more difficult situation to manage."
Due to the modified lockdown, many Stillwater students left the high school but absences will be excused.
Bach asked any parents or students who have additional information about the threatening posts to contact the main office at 651-351-8040 or the Oak Park Heights Police Department at 651-439-4723.
"We take the safety and health of our students and staff is our top priority, and we will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to determine the source of these concerning posts," Bach said.
At about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the City of Oak Park Heights Police Department said additional officers will be at the high school Tuesday through evening events and will be on campus all day Wednesday.
Police added that there was no credible threat to the school but investigators and SAHS's school resource officer are continuing to find the origin of the threatening social media posts.
The police department said in a statement that there were also reports of loud pops, much like gunshots or fireworks, near the school but officers found that the sound came from a modified exhaust on a vehicle that caused it to back fire.
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