HOUSTON -- Houston Independent School District officials has released the text of the email that threatened violence against the state's largest school district.
Hello there. There is something you should know about, taking place
tomorrow of 12/17/15, Thursday.
My story starts here. I have been bullied every day here, in one of the
district high schools. Just because, I am 'different'. I turned to
religion, to solve my problems, and found faith and comfort in Allah. He
has helped me through a lot. So now, I must help him. He has called upon
me and my fellow comrades to take action against you blasphemers and
non-believers. You have denied Allah for too long. My 46 Jihad
affiliates and I are going to unleash an massacre of epic proportion,
targeting every single school and student in the district. We have an
assorted collection of Kalashnikov rifles, MG240 Light machine guns, RPG
Launchers, .50 Cal Sniper rifles, hand grenades, and to top it off:
suicide vests. We have already planted napalm, propane, and pressure
cooker explosives in multiple schools.
After receiving the email, HISD sent an automated voice message to parents on Wednesday night warning them of the threat of violence. School wasn't canceled because they didn't believe the threat was credible.
At a press conference Thursday, HISD Police Chief Robert Mock said the e-mail went to the district's superintendent and others, but it did not originate from the Houston area.
School officials described the threat as "over the top."
Officers swept HISD campuses, and classes went on as scheduled Thursday with increased police presence at schools. No issues had been reported in the district as of Thursday afternoon.
The district issued the following statement Wednesday:
"The Houston Independent School District…received a threat of violence similar to those received this week by school districts across the nation including Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
"At this time, we do not believe the threat is credible, but as a precautionary measure law enforcement officers are in the process of conducting random sweeps of school district buildings to ensure student safety. Surrounding law enforcement agencies also have been notified and additional officers will be on patrol Thursday morning.
"HISD asks parents and students to be vigilant Thursday morning, and report any suspicious activity to police.
"School will continue Thursday as scheduled. Should that change, we will notify you."
Some parents told KHOU 11 News they would've kept their kids out of school for the rest of the week had it not been for finals.
The threat of violence was alarming enough to keep Deshonna Francisco up all night as she wonders if sending her daughter to school Thursday was the right choice.
"I wanted to pray immediately…I tossed and turned all night going into prayer for these kids cause you don't know what they're going to do these kids. You really don't know," Francisco said.
"I'm concerned I was thinking…I was talking to her should I drop you off or not," Frank Martinez said.
But the districts says parents should not be worried.
"Some people are happy because they want to get rid of the school and some people are like oh my gosh I don't know wanna die," Abigail Roman, a senior at Bellaire High, said.
For Francisco there's no question her nerves are sky high. She says she won't rest easy until she picks up her daughter from school.
"You just can't say oh it's not credible! It is credible you called and texted us night," Francisco said. "You don't know if they're going to try to do a school you don't know if they're going to try to do the administration building. You don't know where the threat is going to be performed if they succeed in doing it."
