Increased Police Presence On DeSoto ISD
A 9-1-1 call early Tuesday morning threatening violence against DeSoto ISD’s Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy prompted DeSoto Police and ISD officials to take the precautionary steps of closing off that school and three other schools in the district and by deploying DeSoto Police and officers from nearby agencies to all four schools to secure them and search for any active threats on site.
The three other schools that were included as an additional safety precaution by police were Cockrell Hill, Woodridge, and The Meadows. In the case of Johnson Magnet, officers cleared the campus room by room until an “all-clear” could be given. All impacted campuses were allowed to fully reopen by 9:20 AM. Additionally, school administrators were deployed to campuses and the District provided a heightened patrol throughout the remainder of the school day.
“While this morning’s phone threat did not turn out to be credible, these steps were still necessary to rule out any threats to the safety of our students and school personnel,” said DeSoto Assistant Police Chief Ryan Jesionek. “We are most appreciative of the high level of cooperation that we received from DeSoto ISD’s leadership and are very proud of the way that our officers and those from Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Glenn Heights, the Dallas Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Marshalls, and DeSoto ISD Security worked as one to ensure that all of our children were safe.”
“While giving our students the best education possible is our goal, ensuring their safety is always our top priority, and we appreciate every single law enforcement officer who responded swiftly this morning to make sure that everything and everyone were safe,” said DeSoto ISD Superintendent Dr. Usamah Rogers. “We would also like to thank all of the students, parents, and ISD staff impacted by these precautions for their patience and cooperation.”
DeSoto ISD Counseling Services have been offered at the Katherine Johnson campus to provide social-emotional counseling and resources to those who may need assistance processing today’s events. Other students and families who may need assistance processing today’s events may reach out to DeSoto ISD Counseling Services at 214.223.6666 ext 8214.
DeSoto Police will continue to be a presence at the schools involved and are conducting an investigation to locate the caller who phoned in the threat. Residents who have information that might be helpful to the investigation please contact detectives, unanimously if desired, at (469) 658-3050.
