TR schools close again Friday due to second online threat

By Robert Tomlinson
News Director

THREE RIVERS — For the second straight day this week, Three Rivers Community Schools was closed due to anonymous online threats against the district.

On Thursday night, just one day after a threat over Snapchat closed down the school district, another threat from another anonymous account on Snapchat led to the district cancelling classes and activities Friday.

Friday’s threat, according to screenshots on social media, came from an anonymous user called “Bomb Three Rivers HS,” and read, “Yall Really Pushed Me To My Limit All The Jokes and Times I Was Bullied I’m Gonna Show All Of Yall How I Felt Tomorrow Be Safe During Passing Period Tomorrow Guys” [sic].

The school district announced the closure Thursday evening just before 10 p.m., and Three Rivers police said they were investigating the new threat. The incident also caused the varsity football team’s originally-scheduled home game to be moved to Niles Friday night. There is also no word on if Grandparent’s Day, which was scheduled for Friday, will be rescheduled at this time.

It is unknown if there is any connection between the new threat and the first threat on Wednesday.

It is the second threat against the school district in the last 48 hours. On Wednesday, a message from an anonymous person on Snapchat that mentioned Three Rivers High School and Three Rivers Middle School would get “lit up” caused the district to close Thursday.

According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, the first threat was reportedly made by a juvenile who lives outside of the Three Rivers city limits, which was identified by Three Rivers police. The alleged suspect in that threat was brought to the Sheriff’s Department by their mother, and “is fully cooperating with the investigation.” At the time, the Sheriff’s Department said there was “no credible threat” to the school district from the Wednesday threat.

The investigation into the first threat is ongoing, and once completed, Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said, a report will be forwarded to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office and Juvenile Court for a review of possible charges.

Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.