Students In Custody After Threat At Tulsa's Central High School

Tulsa Public Schools said police are investigating a threat at Central High School Friday morning. The threat was not considered credible, a school spokesperson said.

Six students were taken into custody around 7:30 a.m. by Tulsa Public Schools police before school started and before they were around any other students.

Police say the six students all went to school at Central. The students are four males and two females, between the ages of 15 and 17.

The threat first arose on social media platforms Thursday evening, according to police, then spread on a student chat thread. 

Campus Police got the first report around 5 am. A parent called Tulsa police Friday around 7:20 a.m.

And within a short time of us even getting involved, the students had been identified, and they had them in custody," said Sgt. Shane Tuell, Tulsa Police.

Students tell News On 6 the threat was to shoot up the school, but police have not confirmed the specific nature of the threat. 

Some families decided to take children home from Central as word spread about the potential threat and arrests. 

David Sanders took his brother and sister home once he heard.

"I take something like this very seriously when it comes to my family and the well-being of the children up here also," Sanders said.

The students are expected to face charges of threatening a public official and threatening the school. The threat mentioned the principal specifically.

"To the police department they're all credible threats, and we're going to treat them as such, and you're going to answer for that - because your words are very powerful," Sgt. Tuell said.

The case will be handled in juvenile court. 

Central High School is located at 3101 W. Edison St., northwest of downtown.

Tulsa Public Schools issued the following statement:

The Tulsa Public Schools Campus Police team is working with the team at Central High School to investigate an alleged threat made on social media. We treat every social media threat as credible until we have fully determined otherwise. In addition to partner law enforcement agencies, this process can involve a number of team members including Campus Police, school leaders and their teams, facilities and operations staff, and district leaders at minimum.

We urge parents and families to talk with their children about the importance of good digital citizenship and the severity of the potential consequences for bad decisions made online. Regardless of the original intention of the post – whether it was a joke or an expression of frustration – students who make threats on social media can face long term suspension, arrest, and even criminal charges.