Threat of school shooting leads to police presence at Center Middle School in Kansas City

Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Center Middle School.

A threat made on social media directed towards Center Middle School prompted Kansas City police to have officers at the school on Tuesday, a Center School District spokesman said.

The school district informed parents of the threat made on Snapchat in a letter sent Monday evening, said Rick Chambers, a spokesman for the school district.

“We have notified the Kansas City Police Department and they will have a presence at the school” on Tuesday, the letter said. “We are also working with the police to identify the source of the message.”

The school’s principal told police that the social media message threatened the shooting of people at the school, said Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.

Detectives were investigating the threat and off-duty and on-duty officers are at the school and are working with the school administration, she said.

The district asked anyone with information about the threat to contact a member of the school district’s administrative team.

“The safety of all students and staff remains a priority for district officials,” the letter said. “We are providing the police with all leads and information that we receive regarding this threat.”

Chambers said he was unable to share anything other than what was in the letter sent to parents. Center Middle School is located at 326 E. 103rd St. in south Kansas City.