Norman, Mustang Police Address Startling Post On Social Media

A Mustang High School student is in custody after a picture of him, possibly threatening a school, surfaced on social media. Police emphasize that there is no threat to students at this time, nor was there ever a real threat. 

The picture was circulating around social media and was shared thousands of times, it showed a young man holding what looked like a large gun, with the caption “don’t come to school tmrw.” 

Norman Police were notified of the picture by a Norman High parent. 

“We take every threat very seriously, especially when it's aimed towards our most vulnerable student population,” said Lt. Ali Jaffery, Lt. over the School Resource Officers with Norman PD. 

Lt. Jaffery said they immediately began investigating the situation and were quickly notified that it was not a Norman High student, like many people on social media thought. 

“It was shared on social media on many platforms and an individual in Mustang was able to identify that individual,” said Lt. Jaffery. 

Lt. Jaffery said that somebody in Mustang was able to identify the kid in the picture as a Mustang High student. After that, Mustang Police became involved in the investigation. 

“It was reported in the city limits of Norman but that of course doesn't tell you where the crime occurred and sadly it happened here,” said Chief Rob Groseclose with Mustang Police. 

Chief Groseclose said the post began a very long investigation for Mustang PD. He says the picture was actually posted a month ago and was shared over 4,000 times. 

“The saddest thing- the most startling thing to me is that it took this long to report it to law enforcement,” said Groseclose. 

He said the timeline is what frustrates him the most, and that they could have begun the investigation sooner, if they had known about the possible threat. 

“The quicker it's reported to us, the quicker we can react and ensure people's safety,” said Groseclose. 

Groseclose said the gun in the picture was not a real gun. 

“It was an airsoft gun, but the picture was made to look like a real gun.” 

He said even though this may have been a fake post, the consequences are real. 

“Keep in mind that everything on the internet can be tracked and there are usually ways to find you,” said Groseclose. 

Mustang Public Schools said in part:  

"We hope that this situation can present an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your children,” and went on saying they encourage parents to talk with their kids about being responsible for what they post.” 

The Mustang student was taken into custody by Mustang Police, but his name and charges have not been released since he is a minor. 

Read Mustang Public School’s full statement here: 

Mustang Families, 

Working in partnership with our local law enforcement, we strive to provide open, honest and timely communication to our stakeholders. Late last night/Early this morning the Mustang Police Department notified us that one of our Mustang High School students had been arrested in conjunction with a troubling post made almost a month ago using a popular social media app. The post contained an image of a firearm with a message warning of coming to school, but no specific school or even District was mentioned.   

The post, which has been shared over 4,000 times, actually contained an airsoft (pellet) rifle and was made as a joke. Mustang PD has assured us that, based upon their investigation of this situation, there is no credible threat to any of our schools, nor was there one when this post was made, but this situation requires some additional unpacking.   

We take all reports of this nature seriously and work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and take appropriate actions. It is quite troubling that this post had been seen/shared over 4,000 times prior to it being reported. We recognize that students, families and the entire community play a vital role in maintaining safe schools; please allow this to serve as a very important reminder to see something, say something! The Department of Homeland Security has some good information about this, available online at https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something: “...as you’re going about your day, if you see something that doesn't seem quite right, say something. By being alert and reporting suspicious activity to your local law enforcement [or any trusted adult], you can protect your family, neighbors, and community.”   

We hope that this situation can present an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your children; reminding them that as valuable as social media can be in terms of timely communication, it can also serve as a vehicle to spread misinformation that can be harmful and have far-reaching consequences. We encourage you to talk with your child and your students about being positive consumers of information and being responsible for what they view and share via social media. 

At this time, we believe this situation to be resolved, as Mustang PD has deemed this a non-credible threat. We will continue to have all of our School Resource Officers on duty and stationed throughout the District. Additionally, our Director of Safety & Security will continue to work closely with local law enforcement to monitor any situation, should it arise. We greatly value our partnerships with the Mustang Police Department, Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and the OKC Police Department as the safety of our students and staff is our utmost concern.  

We thank you for the trust that you place in us each and every day, and greatly appreciate your continued support of MPS. As always, if you have any questions, please contact your school office or administrators.