5 students charged in series of school threats in West Des Moines

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) -West Des Moines police announced that two students at Stilwell Junior High have been charged with felony terrorism and that three more have been charged with first-degree harassment.

Social media threats forced several districts to cancel classes for the day and others reported high absentee rates.

“Although these threats were not carried out, the seriousness of the crimes and the disruption of the school and the learning environment were factors taken into account when criminal charges were filed,” said West Des Moines police.

“On Friday specifically, these social media threats quickly caused parents to be concerned which led to an overwhelming amount of phone calls made to the school and parents arriving at the school to remove their children. Accordingly, the School Resource Officer from the West Des Moines Police Department worked directly with staff at Stilwell to investigate these threats as quickly as possible in order to maintain order and the safety of the students and staff.”

Police said the students charged are all under the age of 18, so none of their names will be released.

On Friday, Dubuque police also arrested a 12-year-old for sending a threat to a school on social media.

Cedar Rapids police also charged a student with Carrying a Firearm on School Grounds