So. Indiana schools boost security after threats

Authorities in Southern Indiana increased security at schools Wednesday after they learned of some online threats and are trying to see if the threats are connected.

Police and school districts in Jeffersonville, Clarksville and Salem took to social media late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning to alert the public about threatened violence against area schools. Greater Clark County Schools, Salem County Schools and Clarksville Community School Corporation increased police presence at some or all of their campuses on Wednesday.

It was previously reported that photos circulating on social media in Jeffersonville and Salem showing images of clowns with messages threatening school shootings were part of the investigation, but officials are now saying that they might not be connected. One photo depicted a clown standing behind Bradie Shrum Elementary in Salem, while others showed a picture of a clown with threats against three middle schools in the two cities.

Jeffersonville Police, Greater Clark County Schools, Salem Police and Salem Community Schools would not confirm the authenticity of the posts, but they did say the messages that prompted the responses were shared on fake social media accounts, including on Instagram and Snapchat. The messages and original accounts have since been deleted.

Jeffersonville Police held a news conference Tuesday night to detail a "direct threat of violence" made against Parkview and River Valley middle schools. Police said that security was going to be increased Wednesday, according to police spokesman Sgt. Isaac Parker.

Parker would not comment on the specific contents of the images but did say they were posted on Instagram. He said the original reports to police were filed by both parents and school officials Tuesday night.

Greater Clark County Schools, which operates the school district in Jeffersonville, posted a message on Facebook early Wednesday from Superintendent Andrew Melin, in which he said the district received a social media threat late Tuesday night against the schools.

I need to inform our Parkview and River Valley families of a social media threat posted late last night that was concerning enough for us to involve the Jeffersonville Police Department.

We want to assure all of our Parkview and River Valley families and staff members that Greater Clark and Jeffersonville Police representatives have taken every precaution to make sure today is safe and the educational process goes as smoothly as possible.

The Jeffersonville Police Department and Greater Clark are committed to continuing the investigation until we identify the person responsible for this threat. Please contact your school principal if you have questions, concerns, or any information helpful to the investigation.

Attendance at Parkview Middle School at around 63 percent and 74 percent at River Valley Middle School, significantly below their typical attendance rate, said Erin Bojorquez, spokeswoman for the Greater Clark County Schools. Both schools had enrollments between 700 and 900 last year, according to Indiana Department of Education.

Bojourquez did not respond to a question about the contents of the threat.

In a news release sent Wednesday morning, Salem Police Department said a school resource officer was notified of a threat made against Salem Middle School around 8 p.m. Tuesday. They said they are working with Jeffersonville Police to compare the threats and see if they are related.

"The threat was made from fake Instagram and Snapchat accounts," the release said. "Officers are currently working the case. The school has sent an automated message to parents of all student to make them aware of the situation."

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, they said they did not receive any validity to the threats. They were attempting to locate the original source of the messages and would maintain heightened security in the meantime.

D. Lynn Reed, superintendent of Salem County Schools, was quoted in a story from Kentuckiana radio station WSLM acknowledging that the clown photos were part of the investigation. In a text message to the Courier-Journal, she said that there are several images that prompted the police investigation and would not say if the clown pictures are among them.

"SCS is open for a normal school day today," Reed said. "We have increased police presence at all three schools and heightened our internal security measures. Our administration is working diligently with the police to get to the bottom of this situation. As soon as we have more concrete information, we sill share it immediately with our school community."

Reed said attendance in the district was between 40 and 50 percent on Wednesday, while they typically have attendance above 95 percent. Enrollment in the school district was slightly under 2,000 last year, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

Rebecca White, who owns WSLM, posted the original story and is on the school board for Salem County Schools, said Wednesday afternoon she was now notified by Salem Assistant Police Chief Tim Miller that the photos are no longer part of the investigation. Salem Police did not immediately return multiple requests for comment.

Clarksville Community School Corporation, which operates the school district in Clarksville, posted on Facebook early Wednesday morning that it was made aware of the social media threats made toward Southern Indiana schools and it is increasing security at all of the district's schools as a precaution.

"The safety of our students and staff is our top priority," the post said. "CCSC is working with the Clarksville Police Department to ensure additional officers will be on hand at all schools today."

A spokeswoman for the district did not immediately respond to a request for attendance numbers on Wednesday. Clarksville Community School Corporation had an enrollment of roughly 1,400 students last year, according to the Department of Education.

Clarksville Police posted on Facebook late Tuesday night that the department will be increasing security at all schools in the district because of recent online threats.

Clown sightings have been reported all over the country, including in at least 10 states. The sightings began in Wisconsin and South Carolina and have extended throughout the region, including in Indiana and Kentucky.

On Tuesday, Gallatin County Schools in northern Kentucky increased police presence at schools after receiving a "vague threat of violence." Gallatin County Sherriff Josh Neale told WCPO in Cincinnati that the messages contained "creepy clowns" and that the threats were forwarded to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.

Reporter Justin Sayers can be reached at 502-582-4252 or jsayers@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_JustinSayers.