Etowah sheriff, school system investigating reported threat to West End High School

A joint investigation continues into a threat reported Sept. 8 to West End High School, according to Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton and Etowah County Schools Superintendent Alan Cosby.

Faculty at West End alerted the school resource officer, an Etowah County deputy, about a threat reported at the school, the officials said in a statement. The SRO immediately began coordinating an investigation into the incident jointly with the Etowah County Board of Education and the sheriff's office Investigation Division to identify the source of the information.

Through the proper protocols for the sheriff's office and the school board, a home visit was conducted immediately to determine if any weapons were present or if the juvenile had access to weapons. The juvenile was removed from school immediately after the threat was reported, according to the Board of Education's protocol.

Horton said investigators found no firearms at the address where the juvenile lives, and no access to firearms.

Over the last few days, investigators collected evidence, and interviews have been conducted by the school's resource office and investigators. All evidence and paperwork was submitted to juvenile probation officers, which is standard procedure for any case involving juveniles.

The statement said the safety and security of students, staff and community as a whole continues to be the focus of the investigation. which is ongoing, and is the focus of school officials and authorities every day. No details were provided about the nature of the threat reported.

A number of parents expressed concerns on social media that they were not notified about the threat.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Etowah sheriff investigating reported threat to West End High School