Longmont police say violence threats against Christian schools unsubstantiated

Amy Bounds, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·3 min read

Mar. 31—Longmont police on Friday addressed rumors circulating in the community about possible violence at Christian schools and organizations, saying no credible threat was found.

Longmont Christian School was closed Friday out of fear that groups planning to attend a demonstration in Fort Collins for International Transgender Day of Visibility could target area Christian organizations and schools, according to an email sent from the school that was provided to the Times-Call by a parent.

School administrators couldn't be reached for comment.

According to the email, the school learned that demonstrations across the country by LGBTQ groups "may be potentially violent," and that could include groups planning to travel on Interstate 25 to a demonstration in Fort Collins.

"We have been informed by law enforcement that some of these groups may choose to target Christian organizations and schools," the email reads. "No specific threats have been made against Longmont Christian School. However, out of an abundance of caution, after consulting with Longmont Police, LCS leadership has decided to close school tomorrow, Friday, March 31."

In a statement, Longmont police said several Christian organizations received information that Friday was designated as a "Day of Rage" or "Trans Day of Vengeance," in which an unnamed group would target and vandalize Christian locations in the I-25 corridor.

No specific school or organization was named, according to the statement, which was made in partnership with Out Boulder County.

Longmont police spokesperson Robin Ericson said the two Christian organizations that contacted Longmont police told officers that a church in Loveland had called and alerted them to the possible threat.

In Loveland, according to a story by the Reporter-Herald, Resurrection Christian School and Loveland Classical Schools also canceled classes on Friday based on similar concerns about potential violence.

According to a Facebook post by Loveland Classical Schools executive director Ian Stout, the school made the decision to close based on a Safe2Tell report and later established that it wasn't a valid threat.

"The best way to categorize it is as a '3rd-person report of something they heard that someone else supposedly saw on YouTube regarding general threats directed towards certain 'type' of schools in the area," he wrote in the post.

Northern Colorado law enforcement agencies told the Reporter-Herald that the threats were unsubstantiated.

Separately, the St. Vrain Valley School District sent an email Friday morning to families at Frederick, Longmont and Skyline high schools to address the "many unsubstantiated rumors circulating on social media, throughout the community, and across the state that are fueled by recent national and local incidents."

Locally, Frederick High was placed on secure status and a controlled release Tuesday after a reported sighting of a person with a gun. Longmont's Skyline High was placed on secure status Thursday while rumors of potential school violence were investigated.

Frederick High parents reported on social media that attendance was low on both Thursday and Friday as rumors continued to circulate. St. Vrain Valley did not respond to a request for high school attendance numbers.

In the email sent to parents Friday, Safety and Security Executive Director Richard Peebles encouraged reporting concerns to the school, police or anonymously through Safe2Tell.

"We take any reported safety concern very seriously, and immediately and thoroughly investigate all potential threats in partnership with the Longmont Police Department and other local law enforcement partners," he wrote.

The Loveland Reporter-Herald contributed to this report.