Ongoing Arizona school threats will 'destroy a young person's future,' Navajo president says

A northern Arizona school district this week became one of the latest to ramp up security and cancel class amid a threat circulated on social media, leading the president of the Navajo Nation to issue a stern warning to people thinking about making such postings.

Navajo Nation police responded Monday to the area of Tuba City Junior High School to investigate after threats surfaced online. Officers later arrested two juveniles in connection with the threats, according to the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President.

The district canceled classes Tuesday "for the best interest and safety of all our staff and students," school officials said in a Facebook post.

Then, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Tuba City High School went into lock-down, "because of a threat reported to staff." Security and Navajo Nation police responded and determined there was no immediate threat, officials said.

In the wake of the incidents, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye urged parents and teachers to support students' emotional and mental wellness. He called on leaders to connect with communities and engage with students who have been subject to a tidal wave of school-related violence.

Still, people who see something are urged to say something.

“We don’t see these as idle threats,” Begaye said in a Wednesday statement. “Initiating these types of threats will destroy a young person’s future. These charges get very serious. Within the Navajo Nation, we will prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent possible.”

The district this week issued a memo outlining a slew of new security precautions being put in place "until further notice." Among them:

All classes are being held indoors, with limited movement between buildings.

Only one access gate to the high school is open.

Parents must show identification at the front gate and to check-out their children during the day

All K-8 campuses will close immediately after dismissal.

Additional law enforcement and security personnel "remain on alert."

“Our children shouldn’t be frightened to go to school, and neither should our educators,” Begaye said. “It’s imperative that we reinforce our schools as safe zones by investigating any threats being made against our school systems and children.”

The superintendent for Tuba City Unified School District did not immediately return a call from The Arizona Republic. Additional details about the threats and response were not immediately available.

Tuba City is on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, about 75 miles northeast of Flagstaff.

In the two weeks after the horrific mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, azcentral.com has reported on 17 separate threat incidents at schools in Arizona, most in the Phoenix area.

Minors and adults were arrested, guns were confiscated, and in two instances, classes were canceled. After investigating, police and school officials found most of the threats weren't viable and some were considered hoaxes.

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No one was injured in any of the incidents.

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Around the country, copycat threats have become ritual following mass shootings. The perpetrators — either cashing in on publicity for a hoax or truly inspired — are now woven into the social fabric of these tragedies.

Their presence creates a tightrope walk for police and school administrators: While schools have a responsibility to keep students and parents informed of potential threats, broadcasting them often emboldens others.

“Publicizing threats not only spawns copycats but also empowers those making the threats to potentially follow through,” said Craig Pletenik, communications director for Phoenix Union High School District. “We’ve even talked to parents and kids about that. You say something long enough, people are going to believe it.”

Republic reporter Megan Cassidy contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8515, jpohl@azcentral.com or on Twitter: @pohl_jason.

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