Three students have been officially charged with a felony terroristic threat. Absences dating back to last Thursday are now excused after parents kept kids at home.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Three students from Wilson Middle School are now facing a felony terroristic threat charge after staff within the Northwest Independent School district discovered an online document containing a school attack plan with a ‘watch list’ naming 25 students and seven school employees.
Initially, district officials said that two students were responsible for the document and were arrested.
In a letter to parents Monday, officials revealed that a third student had been implicated, and that all three were facing felony consequences.
The letter added that any student charged with a felony terroristic threat could be placed in the District Alternative Education Program for up to 60 days if it’s their first offense.
The district added in the message that all Northwest ISD schools will now complete a threat assessment review from this point forward for any student charged with a felony terroristic threat who is set to return to the classroom after spending time in DAEP.
That review will determine if additional measures must be implemented to return to any campus safely.
Last week, a statement from Northwest ISD said a parent alerted officials Wednesday about a concern at Wilson Middle School, which is located in far north Fort Worth. When officials looked into the concern, they discovered “an online document detailing a planned attack on students and staff” at the school.
Officials alerted the students and staff listed on the document.
District officials also said that any student found to be involved in the document but is not charged will be punished under the district’s student code of conduct. According to officials, several students had access to the document online.
The names of the three students charged haven’t been released due to their ages, but the news kept families from sending their students to school for the last three days.
District officials said attendance numbers fluctuated from 80% to 65% from Thursday to Monday.
Officials said any absence from Thursday, Friday and Monday will be excused.
Additional security has also been added, per the letter.
“We added additional (unarmed) security to patrol the halls at Wilson for Thursday and Friday. As of today, we have added an armed security guard to the campus for the remainder of the year. We have one Fort Worth Police Department School Resource Officer (SRO) and an armed security guard who will remain on campus for the last 15 days of this school year. The armed security guard will be seen actively monitoring the hallways and the exterior of the building,” the message to parents read.