DPS NEWS

Utah SIAC helps connect the dots in high school shooting threat

Earlier this week the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) received information regarding a possible school shooting threat. The threat which was initially found by a young woman in Davis County on Snapchat. Garfield County Sheriff’s Office was initially contacted due to the school that was named in the threat. After review, it was found that the threat had no relation to Utah.

The Sheriff’s Office in Garfield County sent the threat to DPS’ Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC) for further investigation. Analyst with the SIAC reviewed the threat and issued a law enforcement bulletin to all Fusion Centers in the country. The bulletin eventually linked the threat to a Gar-field High School in Virginia. A juvenile in Virginia was arrested by local law enforcement in connection to the threats made on social media.

This is a perfect example of how saying something really makes the difference. The young woman in Davis County did the right thing and reported suspicious activity. Our partners in Garfield County also did the right thing by utilizing state resources to help prevent a tragedy in another community. We want to remind all community members to make law enforcement aware of any suspicious activity. You can reach out to the Department of Public Safety through our 833-DPS-SAFE (833-377-7233).