Gun threat written on wall prompts tighter security at the junior high

Columbia Falls Junior High bolstered security Friday after someone wrote a violent gun threat on a girls bathroom stall.

The school notified parents on Wednesday afternoon. The message on the wall said it would be carried out Friday.

The school remained open Friday, principal Dave Wick said, but students had their bags checked as they entered the school and law enforcement were at the school during the day.

In addition, the doors were locked and staffed during the day.

While it turned out to be a prank, the school takes every threat seriously, Wick said.

In a recording to parents, Wick said the school did have a suspect, but couldn’t totally confirm the identification of the perpetrator. In his message to parents, Wick said he didn’t think it was a credible threat.

The school also canceled a family fun night that was scheduled for Friday.

This is not the first time the junior high has had to deal with threats written on the bathroom walls.

Since 2014, there have been about five threats written on walls. The school has never closed. The last threat was a bomb threat in March.

Wick said the school has security cameras, but there aren’t any in the bathrooms, for obvious reasons, so it’s sometimes hard to pinpoint a suspect because students come and go.

He said the school is considering further security measures at its entrances, like one currently installed at Glacier Gateway.

“It’s something we’re considering,” he said. “It’s frustrating, because you work hard to be a welcoming environment.”

In 2014, after a threat, bomb sniffing dogs were brought in after hours and students bags were searched. No bomb was found.

Wick in his message to parents noted that a student who is caught could be suspended or expelled and face criminal charges as well.

Wick said the searches went well and attendance was below normal for the day, but not much — about 87 percent.