Suspect in custody for Elgin Schools threats

ELGIN — A suspect in last week’s threat to Elgin Public Schools is in custody and classes returned to session Wednesday, though with an increased police presence.

Elgin Superintendent Nate Meraz thanked the community for the tips received that to led to the arrest of the suspect, an unidentified student.

School administrators received word of a threat made through electronic means and cancelled classes, activities and events on April 6. Classes were already scheduled to be out the next day.

On Monday, Meraz posted an update to the situation on the Elgin Public Schools Facebook page that teachers would take a professional day on Tuesday. By Tuesday, the decision to return to class the next day was made.

Meraz wrote that a phone that had been voluntarily surrendered was under a forensic search by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The search failed to pinpoint the origin of the statement.

“I have been working diligently with law enforcement since this began and I thank them for their help,” he wrote. “Using the FBI’s Threat Assessment Perspective, this is a low level of threat due to the vague, indirect, and implausible status of the statement.”

After poring over the details, researching similar incidents and gaining a “more clear understanding of possible motive, thought processes, and level of risk associated with this type of vague threat,” Meraz wrote that he believed it was time for school to return to session.

The student’s name, grade or any other identifying information has not been released.

Meraz has signaled the suspect will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.