Hacked social media account leads to Jackson school threat

Jackson police are investigating a Tuesday night incident in which a post on a social media account indicated a potential firearms threat at Jackson High School.

According to Jackson schools public information officer Merideth Pobst, a post appeared Tuesday evening on the social media platform Snapchat. The post, she said, gave the impression an act of “gun violence” was imminent at the school.

School authorities notified Jackson Police Department officials, who also notified federal authorities.

“The threat was made via a hacked social media account,” according to a statement from the Jackson Police Department, which described the threat as “unsubstantiated.”

According to a police statement released Wednesday morning, an investigation was underway to determine who made the post and how the Snapchat account was hacked.

“While we do not believe any of our schools are in danger, we encourage the public to immediately call us anytime you see something or someone suspicious,” the police department said Wednesday in a post on its Facebook page. “The safety of our schools is one of our top priorities.”

The school district emailed parents Wednesday morning regarding the incident and had counselors on hand Wednesday to speak with students if necessary.

“As always, we take all threats seriously,” the district said in a statement Wednesday on its Facebook page.