Box Elder Co. schools moved online as police investigate potential threats

TREMONTON, Utah — Several schools in Box Elder County will move online as police continue to investigate “several potential threats.”

Officials with the Box Elder School District and Tremonton Police Department announced Monday morning Bear River High School, Bear River Middle School, Alice C. Harris Intermediate School and five elementary schools in the north end of the district would move to online classes for the day.

District officials said students check their Canvas accounts and school emails for directions from their teachers.

Police investigating ‘several potential threats’ at two schools near Tremonton

“We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” officials said. “Police are still investigating and will continue to vet any and all alleged threats. Contact the police if you have any direct information.”

Police said the decision to move classes online was made “based on new information regarding this investigation.”

Officials originally planned to hold classes as normal with extra police officers as a precaution after reporting the threats.

Box Elder School District Superintendent Steven Carlson told KSL the investigation started with one threat that circulated online. Two more appeared after that, and all are believed to be hoaxes.

Carlson added they believe the three threats were not related, and perhaps there was a “copycat” effect due to the nature of social media.

Bomb-sniffing dogs are also checking all of the Tremonton & Garland area public schools since an explosive was mentioned in one of the three threats. Again, it's all being done as a precaution. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/40V31MYdEd

— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) December 13, 2021

Another post had video of a boy, holding a fake gun, warning others to be careful Monday. Police are talking with the suspects, and bomb-sniffing dogs were deployed to all public schools in the Tremonton and Garland area as a precaution because one of the alleged threats mentioned an explosive device, police said.

In Salt Lake City, police detained two students after West High School was placed on lockdown.