Masked suspects online threatened to commit massive murder at 14 schools in Texas. Investigators now say these threats are non-credible and likely originated from overseas.
A group calling itself “Endtex” began posting messages on Telegram on January 6, threatening violence against 14 schools and Galleria Dallas. After investigating, officials with the Fort Worth Police Department said the posts are “not a credible threat” – but promised to take precautions.
“The video is believed to have originated outside of the U.S with the sole purpose of inciting fear,” Fort Worth police officials said in a press release.
“Endtex” began posting threats on Telegram, reviewed by The Dallas Express, in the early morning of January 6. In the group’s first post, a masked man with a gun posed in front of the Nazi flag.
“We will come to schools and start shooting children,” he said. “Many people will die.”
The group posted numerous other threats through January 7, posing with guns and items that looked like explosives.
“THERE ARE 20 OF US, WE ARE ARMED,” one of the captions reads.
Naming Targets
“Endtex” named 14 schools among its targets. It is also named Galleria Dallas, off the Dallas North Tollway, due to a bombing threat.
The schools included the following:
- Andrews: Andrews Elementary School
- Austin: Baranoff Elementary School, Barrington Elementary School
- Fort Worth: Arlington Heights High School, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School, Eagle Mountain High School, Nolan Catholic High School, North Crowley High School, RMA Fort Worth Public School, South Hills High School, Timber Creek High School, Watson High School
- Lake Dallas: Lake Dallas High School
- River Oaks: Castleberry High School
In the early hours of January 6 – when “Endtex” first began posting – officers with the Dallas Police Department evacuated North Dallas High School after a hoax bomb threat, as The Dallas Express reported. It was unclear if “Endtex” was responsible for this.
‘Not A Credible Threat’
Fort Worth police learned of the threats around 7:30 a.m. January 6, according to the release. Officials took the situation “very seriously” and launched an investigation.
FWPD Intelligence Exchange Section (INTEX) worked with local, state, and national agencies to determine whether the threat was credible and to identify the perpetrators.
“As a precaution, FWPD personnel are monitoring and evaluating public spaces and schools throughout the city,” Fort Worth police officials said in the release. “An immediate safety plan has been implemented within the department.”
Investigators found “strong reason to believe that the online video circulating IS NOT a credible threat,” according to the release. A neighboring department reported a similar threat earlier the same day.
Fort Worth police pledged to monitor the situation and take appropriate precautions.
The School Resource Unit is working with local school districts, and the department is boosting personnel to campuses. The department is also preparing for “rapid deployment” if necessary, and using “real-time safety technology” to monitor public spaces.
In the West Texas city of Andrews, local police worked with the FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate the threats, according to KWES. Like Fort Worth police, they found the videos came from another country and “posed no risk” to local schools.
