Full Notification

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

On Friday, Fairfield High School staff was made aware of a potential threat to the school and students. The tip came in from an anonymous source and was immediately reported to the Fairfield Police Department. Officers from the Youth Services Unit investigated, but had little to go on. Precautions were put in place for the following school week as the investigation continued.           

On Sunday, social media posts circulated about the threat and were forwarded to school administration and police department personnel. Working together, witnesses to the event were located, ultimately identifying the individual who made the threat. Officers arrested a 14-year-old male at his residence in Fairfield. While the threats themselves are a crime (felony), the investigation found no credibility to the threat being carried out.

In this case, the smartphone app, “STOPit” was utilized to furnish the original anonymous tip. Applications like this are paramount to open communication and dialogue between students, school staff, and local law enforcement. You can find STOPit here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stopit-app/id719179764

Understandably, these threats created fear and concern throughout the community. It is essential to talk to our kids about the negative impact that threats of violence have on our schools and community. Additionally, even if there is no intent to carry out the threat, making threats of violence is still a crime. It is also important to monitor your youth’s social media accounts and talk with them about the importance of coming forward with information like this, rather than simply reposting or sharing it online. Reducing harm and preventing tragedy is a community effort. In this case, a peaceful outcome would not have been possible without school staff, students, and police working together. We appreciate all those who brought this incident to light.