From Staff Reports

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A week after a mass shooting at a high school in Florida claimed 17 lives, Murphy police took two juveniles into custody for allegedly threatening school shootings.

In the first incident, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, Murphy police reported that two teachers at McMillen High School overheard a statement by a juvenile threatening to shoot someone.

Police responded to the report and took the suspect into custody on a charge of exhibition of a firearm at a school.

The next day, Wednesday, Feb. 21, police responded to a report at Murphy Middle School of a student threatening to shoot up the school. A juvenile was taken into custody and transported to the juvenile holding facility in McKinney on a complaint of exhibition of a firearm at a school.

Police Chief Arthur Cotten reported that there were no weapons involved in either incident.

“We don’t take any of that lightly,” the chief said. “If there is a threat of any kind, we taken enforcement action. Our goal is the safety and security of the campus.”

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