Washington, D.C. – United States Representative, Todd Rokita (IN-04), issued the following statement after Plainfield and Danville school districts closed due to numerous online threats of violence:
“Now that every student has a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, monitoring online threats and knowing which are credible requires innovative technology and collaboration between law enforcement and citizens. Communication, like Danville and Plainfield demonstrated yesterday, was key in ensuring these online threats never materialized,” said Rep. Rokita.
Recently, Rep. Rokita hosted a School Safety Summit. Nearly 100 law enforcement and security industry professionals came together in Plainfield at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy to discuss ways communities can work together to facilitate a safe learning environment for students.
“One of the things we learned was that the security industry, law enforcement, and school officials need to communicate with each other to understand the most effective technology available and best practices to utilize,” added Rokita.
On Thursday, Plainfield schools closed due to online threats made against other students that posted Wednesday night. As law enforcement officials investigated the Plainfield threats, the threats expanded to Danville schools, prompting a school shut-down.
Currently, the FBI is working with local law enforcement in the investigation.
This follows a slew of online threats sweeping the country this week from Washington, D.C. to California.
