Mercer County Schools releases statement on social media threats investigation

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - Mercer County Schools gave an update on the threats their schools have received, and their investigation with various agencies.

According to a statement released on Sept. 18, Mercer County Schools said that the majority of the threats were traced to out-of-state IP addresses. This comes after working with West Virginia State Police, Capitol Police, and Homeland Security.

Once the IP addresses are identified, law enforcement will take the lead in investigating the incidents.

Mercer County Schools said they are working to keep schools safe, and remind students that if they get a notification of a threat while in school to tell their teacher or school administrator immediately. If a student gets a notification after school, then Mercer County Schools says students and families should contact law enforcement or use the “See Say” app.

The statement goes on to remind people that when threats are shared on social media instead of being reported, it hinders the investigation process. Mercer County Schools said social media posts can be shared to a lot of places, and that sometimes they even reach different school systems or states.

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