Police are investigating a threat at Yorktown High School in Arlington after a violent message was posted in the school bathroom.
Officials determined that there are no credible threats to the school, but there will be extra police presence at the high school through Friday as an extra precaution.
This was the message sent out to the school community Wednesday:
Dear Yorktown Families:
Earlier today, Yorktown staff was made aware of a threat that was posted on a restroom wall indicating possible harm to the school later this week. The Arlington County Police Department was immediately made aware of the threat, and they are investigating the situation. For this reason, parents and community members may see a heightened police presence at Yorktown through the week.
We know that any rumor about a potential for violence is always alarming for our community, especially in light of the recent events in Florida. However, due to the recent events here at Yorktown, we know that emotions for our students, families, and staff have been especially heightened.
For these reasons, we wanted to share that we also learned that some students may have taken photos of what was posted and then shared those images out on social media. While we want our students always to report any threats they may see or hear about, we need to remind everyone that spreading rumors among classmates or on social media that have not been verified can create unnecessary panic and stress.
Please be assured that we always take threats of this sort very seriously. Any and all concerns about possible threats should be reported to an adult, but they should not be shared among students until we can investigate, since sharing unfounded threats will only increase anxiety for everyone.
We will continue to investigate this report and will work with the ACPD as well. If we hear more information about this threat, we will share it with you as soon as possible.
I also want to thank the Yorktown community for your support and responsiveness, and if you hear or see something that concerns you, please let me or a member of our Yorktown staff know immediately.
Finally, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office at 703-228-5400.
Sincerely,
Bridget Loft
Principal
The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact police at 703-558-2222.
