Student arrested after Mount Vernon High School shooting threat

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – Police arrested a student after a threat forced Mount Vernon High School to have extra security Tuesday, according to the Fortville Police Department.

Police said the teenage student was suspended from school and will face an expulsion hearing.

The teen is being held in the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Muncie, 24-Hour News 8 partner the Daily Reporter says.

The threat was made when two students passed in the hall, police tell the Daily Reporter. One student said he was going to shoot up the school, the Daily Reporter says.

The mother of a student who heard the threat posted about it on Facebook, according to the Daily Reporter.

That Facebook post quickly spread around the internet, prompting about half of the high school student body — around 600 students — to stay home from school Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning, the Fortville Police Department released the following statement.

“Last evening a Facebook post about a possible shooting at Mt. Vernon High School went viral.  The Fortville Police Department is actively investigating this threat and are currently working with the Mt. Vernon Administration to determine if the treat is credible and the course of action to take.  We take all threats against our school and students very seriously and will continue to investigate this until we identify the person or persons responsible.  There will be increased police presence on all Mt. Vernon Campuses.”

In a letter he tweeted out to parents, the superintendent says students will see changes to security, including backpack checks, on Tuesday.

Mount Vernon Community Schools were on a two-hour weather delay Tuesday morning.