Students and staff at Fulton High School are getting a little jumpy.
"At the high school today, there was still a little bit of hysteria and fear," Superintendent Jacque Cowherd said Thursday. "There were unfounded rumors that something was going to happen at the assembly today. To put the kids at ease, (the principal and I) cancelled the assembly."
Ending a week containing several incidents of disturbing behavior, another high school student was taken into custody Thursday and questioned by Fulton police.
"We conducted an extensive investigation and talked to numerous students and determined the entire thing was unfounded," Maj. Roger Rice said. "There's nothing we can charge him with."
The 17-year-old student was reported making a threat while riding on a school bus, Rice said. Police also reviewed camera and audio footage collected on the bus and found no evidence the student, whose name was not released, made the reported threat.
"This got blown way, way out of proportion," Rice added.
The stress is beginning to show, but school officials are trying to reassure students and follow their plan. Cowherd said the district would follow current discipline procedure and wanted to reassure parents the school's first priority is protecting students and staff.
"We understand that this situation is unnerving and scary at best," Cowherd said. "Please be assured that we, Fulton Public Schools, will continue to communicate with you as substantiated information is brought forward."
On Wednesday, Tyra Pope, 17, of Fulton, was removed from FHS by police. She was charged as an adult with a Class D felony of making a terroristic threat, a charge which is levied because it was made to 10 or more people, Rice said. As of Thursday, Pope had been released on bail, a Callaway County Jail official confirmed.
On March 1, a 15-year-old Fulton boy was detained and transported to juvenile detention services after a report of a threat was made against a Jefferson City High School student. His name was not released, as he is a minor. The youth was taken into custody at Fulton High School; no weapon was found there.
Police also determined the Fulton youth was assisted in carrying out the threat by another 15-year-old boy, and both were charged with non-felony "making terroristic threats" and disturbing the peace. Rice said the lesser charge was levied because the threat was made to only one person.
Rice blamed social media for some of the disruptive behavior.
"If it's on social media, it has to be right. It has to be true," he said of fear-mongering rumors. "It comes to a point where everybody needs to take a deep breath."