Student threat causes Ferris ISD lockdown

FERRIS – The Ferris Independent School District went into lockdown late last week after a student at the Junior High School pulled a manual fire alarm between classes.

The lockdown was called immediately before one of the school’s lunch periods and it triggered an automatic building evacuation of all students and staff.

Administration and emergency response personnel checked the building to ensure there was no fire, however during the evacuation and students return to the building, it was reported a possible threat of violence had been made by the 13-yr-old student. 

Ferris ISD Superintendent James Hartman said, “Once this report was made, our emergency operations protocol was enacted and the Ferris Junior High building was placed in “lockdown” status.”

Hartman said a lockdown requires students and staff to move to or remain in the secure location where they are currently located, usually a classroom, until the situation is investigated by administration and law enforcement. 

“The Ferris ISD Police Department, with assistance from the City of Ferris Police Department, quickly located and detained the student who had allegedly made a potential threat, and then did a sweep of the entire campus as an extra measure of precaution,” Hartman explained. 

“The campus lockdown was then lifted and students returned to their normal schedules.”

Further investigation by administration and law enforcement determined that the report of potential violence was false and that no actual threat had been made. 

The students involved in setting off the fire alarm and the false report will face disciplinary measures from the school as well as potential criminal charges from law enforcement. 

Initial concern last week was a TikTok threat calling for students to take part in mischief and threats on campuses around the country.

Hartman said FISD Police and district administration communicate frequently with area schools regarding social media trends, potential threats being made and response protocols.

He said he did not believe the incident last week at Ferris Junior High was connected with the TikTok trend, but rather an isolated instance of poor decision making by a very small number of junior high students.

However, due to the recent TikTok influences on students the district has increased visibility at all secondary campuses and works closely with the City of Ferris PD to incorporate proactive policing measures in the school community.

“While FISD understands that a campus lockdown can be a stressful event for students and parents, we are committed to ensuring a safe campus environment for all students and will err on the side of caution by implementing our emergency response protocols as warranted,” Hartman concluded.