Prairie High student charged after threat

CEDAR RAPIDS - Additional police officers were posted at Prairie High School Friday following the discovery of a threat Thursday.

While the student accused of making the threat was discovered and taken into custody Thursday, Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow said police went ahead with an earlier plan to provide an increased presence at the school.

'That's what we told people we were going to do and we're fulfilling that promise,” Buelow said Friday. 'It's important that we err on the side of safety.”

Buelow said Prairie High staff discovered a threatening note after a school activity Thursday afternoon. The note made a vague threat about a shooting at the school, Buelow said.

College Community School District officials immediately contacted police, who responded to the school. In addition to notifying district families about the threats, officials planned to station additional officers at the school, Buelow said.

Later Thursday evening, police received additional information that led them to determine a 16-year-old Prairie High student wrote the note. The student was charged with harassment. The Gazette does not identify juveniles unless they have been charged with a felony.

Buelow said police do not believe the student was capable of carrying out the threat.

'Based on the information that was obtained (Thursday) night, we did not believe the threat was credible,” he said. 'However, as you know, we take threats seriously.”

Buelow said police are unable to provide a reason for why the student made the threat, but that will be part of the investigation.