Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 4:30 p.m.
We are aware of a second social media post circulating on Snapchat. The Victoria County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) has verified that it is not a credible threat.
The social media threat from Wednesday, September 14, 2022, was reported directly to the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office. Since the social media post was made to the VCSO, they initiated their protocol. Once the District was aware of these posts, we implemented our safety protocols. We work diligently to discover, understand and report facts to our community. While those results will never be produced as quickly as rumors or information from live events, our purpose is to be accurate with the information we provide our parents and community.
You may recall that several similar events occurred last year when a post that originated outside of Victoria began circulating nationally. Unfortunately, this became a social media threat that eventually circulated amongst our students. It’s important that we have regular conversations with our children regarding behavior and actions on social media and the repercussions they could face by making or participating in threats in the school environment on social media. Let your child know that if they hear of a rumored threat, share the information with a trusted adult and not spread it among peers so that the proper investigation can begin.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 11:30 a.m.
This morning the District and campus administration found out about a social media warning/threat circulating on Snapchat via the Victoria County Sheriff's Office Facebook, just like many of you, at exactly the same time. After investigating, it was determined that the source of the original post was initiated outside of the state of Texas. Victoria West High School is not currently under any threat to student safety, and our campus operations should proceed as they normally do.
It is the practice of the District and campuses to communicate immediately if we have a credible threat or disruption occurring at our schools. We will provide accurate information as quickly as possible. We do not, however, want to create needless panic in our community until we have substantiated the information as valid.
Please remember that establishing relevant facts and the truth takes time.
We work diligently to discover, understand and report facts to our community. While those results will never be produced as quickly as rumors or information from live events, our purpose is to be transparent and accurate with the information we provide our parents and community.
You may recall that several similar events occurred last year when a post that originated outside of Victoria began circulating nationally. Unfortunately, this became a social media threat that eventually circulated amongst our students. It’s important that we have regular conversations with our children regarding behavior and actions on social media and the repercussions they could face by making or participating in threats in the school environment on social media. Let your child know that if they hear of a rumored threat, share the information with a trusted adult and not spread it among peers so that the proper investigation can begin.