Lockhart K-8 School resumed normal operations Thursday following a thorough search conducted in response to a vague but concerning Facebook post that appeared anonymously in a public Facebook forum late Wednesday night.
The post, which included only the school’s name, along with a date, time, and two emojis, raised immediate concern among parents, who alerted Education officials. Some, commenting on social media, questioned the possible connection to a student altercation that occurred on campus the day before.
Early Thursday morning, before students arrived, school officials and the Virgin Islands Police Department implemented a range of security protocols, including bag checks for all students and staff and a detailed sweep of the campus by the VIPD. Several knives were confiscated during these checks, though no further threats were found.
“We took some precautionary measures, putting more resources into the school,” said St. Thomas-St. John Police Chief Steven Phillip. “We had K9 explosive and gun dogs on campus, conducting checks to ensure the area was safe, and we kept additional officers in the school to work alongside the monitors.”
Phillip also confirmed that the FBI had been notified and would be investigating the social media post. “We don’t know what the post is about, but we can’t take anything lightly,” he added.
By mid-morning, Lockhart K-8 School received an official all-clear, allowing students to resume their normal schedules. An increased police presence remained at the school throughout the day, working with the School Resource Officers stationed at Lockhart to ensure continued security.
“While the post was unclear, our priority was to ensure the safety of everyone on campus,” Irvin Mason, Education’s director of School Safety and Disaster Planning, said in a press release. “We acted quickly and in coordination with the VIPD to address any potential risks. We take every potential threat seriously, no matter how it is communicated. Our collaboration with law enforcement was crucial in maintaining a secure environment for our students, faculty, and staff.”
The VIDE encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity and emphasized that making false threats is a serious offense that would be fully investigated.
