Park Hill High School was briefly locked down last week and a student arrested due to a threat of violence.
After issuing an alert on Thursday, Oct. 19 that a threatening note had been located at the school, the Park Hill School District announced enhanced police presence at school on Friday, Oct. 20. That presence apparently paid off when Friday afternoon the district reported a student “who had made a threat of violence” was taken into custody by the Platte County Sheriff’s office.
Other Park Hill schools in the area were also briefly locked down during the incident.
According to Park Hill director of communications Nicole Kirby, the Friday incident was not related to the threat reported on Thursday, although that note threatened violence on Friday, according to school officials.
The nature of the threat was not specified, but Kirby said it was not racial in nature.
Last February, bathroom graffiti including a racial slur and a threat of violence was reported at Park Hill South High School. The author of that threat was later arrested.
In September, a Park Hill versus Park Hill South football game was canceled in the fourth quarter after a fight between students got out of hand and spread to isolated pockets throughout the district stadium. The incident has led to the tightening of security at district events, as well as a parental supervision requirement.