Authorities denounce school threats after West Aurora hoax

On a day that school districts across the country were on high alert because of a vague threat on TikTok, Aurora-area leaders came together Friday night to reassure the community they are doing their best to keep students safe.

West Aurora School District 129 officials and the Aurora Police Department started investigating Friday morning after photos with a specific threat to West Aurora High School were airdropped to students. The post was a picture of a gun taken in a bathroom.

Students and staff were kept in place for more than two hours. Officials determined the photo in question was taken last year in El Paso, Texas, and gave the all-clear about noon.

"For nearly three hours, our 3,700 students lost out on academic experiences, lunch periods were delayed, and it created undue stress on our entire school community," West Aurora School Superintendent Jeff Craig said during a news conference at the Aurora Police Department. "Our partners in this investigation is the Aurora Police Department, and they will continue to follow up on this investigation to identify those individuals responsible for the disruption today."

Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser stressed that her office will prosecute anyone involved.

"When people choose to do this, it is a felony offense in Illinois of disorderly conduct," she said. "Whether it is an adult doing this or a juvenile, we will prosecute these cases."