Press Release - OTHS Social Media Threat

On Thursday morning, October 27th, 2022, the staff, and School resource officer at O’Fallon Township High School were made aware of a social media message circulating regarding an allegation of a student with weapon observed inside a restroom at the Smiley Campus.  Our school resource officer and OTHS administrative staff immediately investigated and located the source of the social media post, a 16-year-old student of OTHS.  It was quickly learned that this post was fabricated and there was no threat to any students on campus.   Because of the viral nature of the post, we dispatched additional officers and detectives to the Smiley Campus to assist investigating this incident and provide an additional police presence on campus.    

Our investigation has revealed the content post to be completely false.  There is no evidence to substantiate any claim of any student at OTHS possessing or displaying a gun.    It is important to note the student who initiated this post did not threaten anyone with a weapon and is not suspected of possessing any weapons.  This student was arrested and removed from campus. 

We are continuing to gather information and will be presenting this case to the St Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office for review for potential criminal charges.   Information about the suspect in this case will not be released as it pertains to a juvenile.  The content of the social media post is part of this investigation and will not be released at this time.

We hold the safety and security of our students in O’Fallon in the highest of regards.  When a threat or allegation is discovered, we assess it and take actions accordingly.  For this particular incident, the social media post was vague, and we were quickly able to determine it was not credible.  We were in constant contact with school administration and quickly determined no additional safety measures were needed.  

We would like to reiterate that social media is NOT an acceptable way to report concerns about school safety.   Making false claims can result in criminal prosecution or school discipline.   If you would like to report a concern, please contact the O’Fallon Police Department at 618-624-4545 or speak with a staff member at your school. 

Chief Kirk Brueggeman