Moreau Heights Elementary School and Lewis and Clark Middle School went on lockdown Wednesday morning at the encouragement of the Jefferson City Police Department.
"We don't order schools to go into lockdown," JCPD Capt. Doug Shoemaker clarified Thursday. "Schools make the decision to lock down," but the department can encourage buildings to do that, Shoemaker added.
Jefferson City Public Schools said in an email statement Thursday that the lockdowns occurred "due to a concerning social media comment posted by a parent."
"Nobody was ever in any kind of danger," Shoemaker said of a message that was "completely misinterpreted" by the person who received it.
He said police determined "the alleged threat was not credible" after they talked with the potential suspect.
Shoemaker didn't want to discuss the specific content of the message, but added that the decision to encourage the buildings to go into lockdown mode was the best one to make at the time.
"The lockdown was a safety precaution and lasted less than one hour in duration," JCPS officials said.