Possible shooting threat puts police on guard at NW Indiana school

There was an extra police presence at a northwest Indiana school on Wednesday morning after a student overheard an apparent shooting threat during an extra-curricular event Tuesday night.

Porter County sheriff’s police were contacted about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday about a threat overheard during an event at Morgan Township High School on State Route 49 in Malden, about 5 miles south of Valparaiso, according to the sheriff’s department.

The alleged threat, made by a 15-year-old boy, was: “No one should go to school tomorrow if they don’t want to get shot.”

Morgan’s principal was contacted by the parent of the student who overheard the comment, and the principal alerted the school’s resource officer, who contacted the sheriff’s department.

The boy was identified and officers spoke with him and his parents.

“All parties involved were very cooperative and confirmed no threat was made,” according to the sheriff’s department.

But sheriff’s officers “made an extra presence at the school this morning, in the event parents were arriving concerned.

“I commend the parents for their vigilance and East Porter County Schools for contacting us so we can handle the incident quickly,” Sheriff David Reynolds said in the statement. “Working together allows us to avoid potential incidents with our children while they attend school and brings piece of mind to the parents that we handle all threats as if they are real.”