In response to violence threats in the region, Dallas Independent School District has modified its football schedule.

The action follows numerous threats of violence at schools throughout the area, resulting in schedule changes for DISD football games on September 11, 12, and 14, reported DISD on X.

The game originally scheduled to be hosted by Kimball High School against Midlothian was moved to be played in Midlothian. This decision was made following the tragic killing of 17-year-old Kimball High School senior David Washington.

Washington was killed on the evening of September 6, across from Kincaide Stadium. The incident occurred across from the stadium at a gas station where a large gathering occurred. David was followed by a group of individuals, leading to a physical altercation, where Washington was shot, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The Dallas police have apprehended a 16-year-old suspect in connection to the murder of Washington.

September 14’s game between Madison and Lincoln was initially planned for the evening but was rescheduled for 10:30 a.m., reported Fox 4 KDFW.

According to U.S. News & World Report, there were a staggering 346 school shooting incidents in the U.S. in 2023, with an average of nearly one per day. California and Ohio tied for the highest number of incidents at 25 each, with Texas closely behind at 23, reported DX.

Police presence has been stepped up in the Dallas ISD and other North Texas districts due to school threats circulating on social media. Dallas police are cautioning students about potential criminal charges for making fake threats, per Fox 4.

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Arlington ISD, Fort Worth ISD, DeSoto ISD, Irving ISD, Waxahachie ISD, and Kemp ISD reported receiving threats on September 11. The district police confirmed that the threats were either a hoax or not deemed credible, and there was no real danger to students or teachers, according to NBC 5 DFW.

False alarms and legitimate dangers continue to impact how school districts handle student safety.

Fake threats have been circulating online, targeting many North Texas schools this week. The threats started after a deadly mass shooting at a Georgia high school on September 4, as reported by The Dallas Express. A 14-year-old shooter killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School and injured another nine. He was arrested and charged with murder.

Soon after, threats started targeting high schools in North Texas, per DX.

At least one arrest has been made in connection with the threats so far. Royse City Police detained a 15-year-old in connection with a bomb threat, per WFAA.

On September 11, Dallas ISD released a statement regarding the threats: “We will continue to be vigilant. Today, you will see a more visible police presence in and around our schools. Parents, please, remind your students about responsible social media use and the consequences of spreading false claims.”

Fort Worth ISD also responded to the threats, saying it is working closely with law enforcement to investigate each threat. “If you come across any threatening post, please report them to your campus immediately so that an investigation can begin, and appropriate safety measures can be taken,” the ISD wrote in a statement.

Kemp ISD canceled school altogether on September 11, and Duncansville ISD held a press conference in response to the growing number of threats.

DeSoto High School went into a temporary lockdown after a 16-year-old former student was arrested off campus and charged with a third-degree felony after making a false threat. Consequently, many school events were canceled or postponed.

As of September 11, the updated list of investigated threats across North Texas high schools is as follows, per WFAA:

  • Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD: the school district announced Wednesday that it is investigating threats made on social media.
  • Carrollton Police Department: investigated six school threats, none of which were found to be credible. A 12-year-old student was charged with threaten/exhibit/use firearm at school.
  • Duncansville ISD: the district brought in more police officers after a rising number of threats on social media.
  • Dallas ISD: increased police presence after threats were made against multiple campuses.
  • Ennis ISD: investigated a threat a student received on social media, leading to the arrest of the person who made the threat in Edinburg, Texas.
  • Fort Worth ISD: investigated threats in social media posts towards multiple school campuses. Fort Worth PD arrested a Fort Worth ISD student responsible for one of the threats.
  • Frisco ISD: investigated several threats; none were deemed to be credible.
  • Joshua ISD: a social media post was made saying a student brought a weapon to Joshua High School. Officers investigated and determined it was not true.
  • Mesquite ISD: investigated one hoax threat made on social media.
  • Plano ISD: investigated three fake threats posted on social media.
  • Royse City ISD: arrested and charged a 15-year-old with a terroristic threat on Monday after he posted online that he would bring a bomb to an afterschool student group meeting on Tuesday.
  • Waxahachie ISD: investigated two different photos containing threats on social media and increased police presence at all campuses.
  • Wylie ISD: investigated a threat and deemed it fake.
  • White Settlement ISD: investigated two calls of reported gunshots near schools, but found no evidence of a shooting.

In other recent incidents in North Texas, a group of students reportedly skipped school on September 9 at South Oak Cliff High School, gathering at Renaissance Park across from the campus. Reportedly, four to five males got into an altercation, leading to an unintended strike of a freshman female student being grazed by a bullet while walking in the park. Consequently, the school was on lockdown for approximately 40 minutes, per DX.

Last month, a 16-year-old student was taken into custody by Fort Worth police on August 27 after a firearm was found in his possession. The discovery of the firearm comes in the wake of recent threats on school campuses in Southlake and East Dallas.

DX reported that there has been a steady spike in violent youth crime in Texas.

In the fiscal year 2023, 8.2% of young people in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) system were responsible for murder, which means one out of every twelve admitted individuals under the age of 18. This figure marks a significant increase from the 1% of youths admitted to the TJJD who had committed murder in 2018.

Last year, 247 individuals lost their lives in Dallas, with almost 43% of the victims being in their teens or 20s, according to the City of Dallas’ crime analytics dashboard.

As of September 13, the City of Dallas has logged 1,532 weapon law violations, 10,681 simple assaults, and 4,250 aggravated assaults this year, according to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard.

The Dallas Police Department has faced significant challenges in combating crime due to a persistent shortage of police officers and a budget that lags behind those of other major cities with high crime rates, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

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