HOUSTON — Sharpstown International School in southwest Houston is the latest Texas school to deal with fake threats of violence, according to the Houston Police Department.
Rumors of a weapon at the school spread on Friday afternoon. The school was put on lockdown and parents were notified.
About 200 panicked parents rushed to the school on Triola Lane near S. Gessner. They gathered outside waiting for word from HPD or HISD officers and hoping to pick up their children.
Many said they saw rumors about a gun or shooting threat on social media.
"I heard it through another mother, so I hurried up and ran over here to get my nephew," one woman told us.
Some parents said they were frustrated because they weren't getting any information about what was going on. The only information they were getting was coming from their kids inside the school.
It was scary for students, too.
"I was scared because that's my little cousin, so family, and there's a lot of kids around and you never know what's on people's minds," one girl said.
"At first I thought it was a drill but I was scared," a boy told us.
"We've just been waiting outside and they kept telling the parents to calm down, but how is a parent going to calm down?" another student said.
HPD and HISD police responded and eventually determined it was a hoax. They said there was no shooting and no weapon was found.
Some students and parents said they saw someone get arrested. HISD initially said no one was arrested but just before 5 p.m., HISD's director of safety and emergency management said that an adult was “detained” on campus. No other details were released.
HISD sent the following statement just before 4 p.m.:
"We are aware of a reported security threat at Sharpstown International School involving a possible weapon on campus. HISD police and HPD are at the school and investigating. At this time, the threat is unsubstantiated. Students and staff are safe and there have been no injuries reported. Out of an abundance of caution the campus was placed on lockdown throughout the investigation and remains in a security hold. The campus team is working with parents who have arrived at the school on a controlled dismissal (this means students will be dismissed in stages). We understand this is a scary situation for families and HISD is in communication with them."
The district said there will be extra patrols on Monday as a precaution.
HISD adds police patrols after multiple Texas districts receive threats
Several school districts in Texas have reported online and social media threats against schools this week.
Houston ISD sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying they're increasing campus patrols districtwide "out of an abundance of caution" to safeguard schools.
HISD said they haven't confirmed any direct threats to schools in the district.
"Houston ISD is aware of a statewide situation involving reports of online and social media posts suggesting several Texas public schools are targets of violence," the letter said. "HISD takes every threat, real or hoax, very seriously. All threats are assigned to a criminal investigator to determine the appropriate response."
RELATED: HISD and other Houston-area districts increase campus patrols as a precaution after online threats
Channelview ISD student arrested for threat
A 16-year-old Channelview Independent School District student was arrested following an investigation into a threatening social media post, the Harris County Pct. 3 Constable's Office announced Friday morning.
The constable's office said after an anonymous tip, deputies discovered a threatening post that featured a picture of an assault rifle and a pistol and alluded to a potential school shooting.
"The threat was posted with the photograph indicating that a shooting would occur at one of the campuses," Eagleton said in a news release.
Deputies identified the teen and arrested them on a felony terroristic threat charge. As of Friday morning, the teen is being held at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Eagleton said.
"The school districts and law enforcement take threats of violence seriously and will utilize every resource and investigative method available to identify and arrest anyone who makes a threat to commit acts of violence at a school," the constable said. "Threats of violence are not funny, not a practical joke, and can have long term consequences."
Klein ISD student arrested for threat
Klein ISD said a student was arrested on Thursday for allegedly threatening classmates at Ulrich Intermediate. The district said the Harris County District Attorney has accepted charges of making a terroristic threat and the student will be expelled from Klein ISD.
"It is not a game. There are people who see, who receive these messages, who actually get in fear, and they don't want to come to school and that's not what we want for any student in our school system," Klein ISD Police Chief Marlon Runnels told us.
They said the families of children who were listed in the threatening messages had been alerted by phone.
Other Houston-area districts said they'd beefed up police patrols this week as a precaution.
Given last week's school shooting in Georgia and this week's flurry of threats, nerves are understandably on edge.