Police have determined that an anonymous threat against an Eden Prairie High School student Friday was not credible, according to an email sent to all Eden Prairie Schools’ families by the school district. The threat resulted in the school being locked down for more than three hours.
EPLN has learned that the student’s father did speak with the FBI at the scene, but no further details were available.
An Eden Prairie Police representative did not respond immediately to EPLN requests for information. Eden Prairie Schools released its statement at 4:30 p.m. Friday saying that it would not be answering questions about the incident because of data privacy laws.
“What we can share is this was an isolated situation, the threats were specific to a limited group of people, and the police found them not to be credible,” the statement added.
The all-clear sounded at about 4 p.m. and students began to leave the school building. More than 2,800 students attend EPHS in grades 9-12.
Meanwhile, parents of freshmen students expressed anger and frustration over not being notified of the Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) lockdown that began at about 12:45 p.m.
Parents were still waiting in a Round Lake parking lot at 3:30 – 2 ½ hours after the lockdown began – to learn when they could pick up their students.
‘Everyone is safe’
EPHS sent a message to families at 3:29 p.m. “All students and staff are safe,” the message began. “We’re continuing to hold in place until we get the all-clear from the Eden Prairie Police Department. Dismissal will be held then.”
Parents at Round Lake recounted to EPLN stories they have been hearing from their students who are still in the school. They have been getting texts from their children saying that there was a shooting, that someone had committed suicide, and other unsubstantiated information.
Parents were standing around mostly looking at their phones as they tried to figure out what was happening and when their children would be dismissed.
Meanwhile, school buses were staging in the parking lot at the Eden Prairie Community Center because they weren’t able to approach the school’s east entrance. Bus drivers told EPLN they “had absolutely no idea what was going on.”
Football game postponed
Friday night’s football game at Shakopee has been postponed until noon Saturday. It will still be played at Shakopee. Tickets purchased for Friday’s game will be honored Saturday.
This story was updated at 5 p.m. Oct. 7 to remove reports that the student or a teacher had spoken with the FBI. EPLN can only confirm that the father spoke with them. It also includes a report from Eden Prairie Schools that the anonymous threat was deemed not credible.
Editor’s note: Jim Bayer and Carol Bomben contributed to this story.
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