Report of Piper High School shooting threat was false, KCK police say
Allegations that a Piper High School student threatened to carry out a school shooting have been determined to be unfounded, Kansas City, Kan., police said Wednesday.
A witness partially fabricated the threat, according to police, who had taken the student into custody Monday during an investigation.
On Wednesday police said the student never made the threat, never had a gun, and there was no evidence to support criminal charges against him.
Police are investigating the possibility of issuing a citation to the witness for making a false report, which is a misdemeanor, said Officer Tom Tomasic, a Kansas City, Kan., police spokesman.
Police Chief Terry Zeigler said on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that no gun was recovered and the student taken into custody never had possession of one.
Police took the student into custody Monday night after a witness reported overhearing him allegedly telling others “how he was going to bring guns to school so he could shoot people.”
The suspect’s arrest, however, was based on misinformation provided by a witness, Tomasic said. He likened the misinformation to hearing someone talking about guns and then fabricating more of the story by adding that person planned to bring the guns to school.
In a written statement, Kansas City, Kan., police said they take all threats involving school shootings seriously and will seek charges against those responsible.
They added that making false allegations and false reports to police is a crime and will be investigated.
This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 10:38 AM.
