A juvenile is in custody of the Christian County Juvenile Justice Office for a threat against students at Ozark High School. Chief Juvenile Officer Perry Barnes said late Wednesday afternoon that charges are pending, investigators believe the juvenile acted alone, and it's possible the juvenile could eventually be charged as an adult.

Barnes says the juvenile lives in or near Ozark but didn't say whether the juvenile attends an Ozark school.

Ozark School District leaders canceled classes at all grade levels early Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

"My job is the safety of kids," said Superintendent Kevin Patterson.

Investigators say they have been in touch with law enforcement officers throughout Missouri and other states as far away as Florida.

The online post contains a warning to students. Someone posted the following message to social media: "This message is going out to 87 freshmen. If you get one of these, I highly suggest you do not attend school tomorrow at any time, you have been good to me and this warning is my thank you." A similar threat was reported at a Florida High School overnight.

Some Ozark parents say while they're glad the school put safety first. They had a lot of explaining to do as they kept their kids home from school.

"It's scary, and the first thing they ask, of course, is 'Why is school cancelled?'" said mother Jennifer Wheeler.

"When stuff like this happens, it's good that they're prepared," said mother Jessica Williams. "We're just being as honest as we can with any questions that they have."

A command base was set up during the night for the investigation. School administrators, along with Ozark police and fire departments and the Christian County Sheriff's Department, were involved.

This missed day will be used as one of the district's built-in days, so it will not have to be made up at the end of the school year.

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Message sent by the Ozark School District on Wednesday afternoon:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The last 24 hours has meant disruption to your family’s schedule. Dr. Patterson and I want to sincerely thank you for entrusting us with your students’ safety. We are confident there is no threat to students or staff; therefore, school will be in session tomorrow. Allow us to share with you our plans for the next few days:

• Our primary objective is to ensure students continue to feel safe.

• In order to respond to students’ needs, we have provided teachers and staff with guidelines to address the circumstances appropriately.

• Additional support, through the school counselors, is available to any student.

• Schools will function as normal.

Please understand, due to the nature of this situation, we are unable to release all details. We realize this can cause confusion and frustration. Our goal is to keep you informed within the confines of the law while being transparent.

Please join the District in discussing the role of social media (both positive and negative) in making our schools a welcoming and safe environment for all. We are grateful to the students, parents, guardians, and other caring adults who provided information contributing to this investigation.

We are thankful for the support of our Ozark community.

It’s a great day to be a Tiger.

Kevin Patterson and Craig Carson