HISD police investigating Meyerland school shooting threat

An Instagram post that threatened a Meyerland Middle School featured what appears to be a stock image of a man with a gun. An Instagram post that threatened a Meyerland Middle School featured what appears to be a stock image of a man with a gun. Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close HISD police investigating Meyerland school shooting threat 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Houston ISD police are investigating a weekend threat made against a Meyerland school on social media.

The Instagram post, which threatened to "shoot up" Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School on Monday, spread quickly across social media, and Sunday evening principal Auden Sarabia sent out a note to parents to let them know the school is aware of the threat.

"HISD police have been notified and an investigation is under way in conjunction with the Cyber Crimes unit," he wrote.

The threat was accompanied by what appears to be a stock image of a man wearing a mask and brandishing a gun.

The user's Instagram account was deleted by Sunday afternoon.

Sarabia's note to parents said that additional HISD police officers would be on campus Monday "as a precautionary measure."

"Please know we take all threats seriously as the safety of our students and staff is our absolute top priority," he wrote.

He urged parents to monitor their children's social media accounts to help police identify the person behind the threat.

On Facebook, parents compared notes and tried to comfort each other.

"Not to downplay this at all, but just hopeful it's an awful awful pre-STAAR prank," one parent posted in a neighborhood moms' group.

The statewide standardized testing is scheduled for middle school students this week.

Another user's questions echoed the discussion that went on online all day.

"I'm sure this was a hoax because of testing, however what do you do as a parent?" she wrote. "I can't even imagine. Do you send your children to school tomorrow?"

Some parents said they'd be keeping their kids home for the day in case the threat was genuine.

In Sarabia's note to parents, he urged anyone with information to contact him at jsarabia@houstonisd.org or at 713-726-3616.