Miller Junior High School and the Aberdeen Police Department put measures in place in response to a shooting threat made against one of the students on Monday night.

The school had an enhanced police presence, according to a social media post from Principal John Meers, but did not close or lock down for the district’s fourth day of school in the new school year.

“(APD) got a call last night. It was about 9:16 last night,” said Cmdr. Steve Timmons. “Their daughter, who attends Miller, got a call from an unknown restricted number. The voice said, ‘Don’t come to school tomorrow, I will bring a gun and I will shoot you.’”

The voice was disguised somehow, Timmons said.

“It was targeted to one specific student,” Timmons said. “We’re working with that family.”

Detectives are getting the necessary warrants to attempt to run down the number used to call the student, Timmons said.

“Our detectives are currently working the case,” Timmons said. “They’re currently trying to trace the number.”

While there were a number of threats against area schools last year, Timmons said, this was the first one of this school year.

“This is the first one for this year,” Timmons said. “It’s kind of crazy. Hopefully it’s not a trend.”

Students who receive similar threats of violence should alert their parents and the police as quickly as possible, Timmons said, so that the police and school authorities can respond quickly to keep students safe.

“Safety of the students is the highest priority,” Timmons said. “The sooner we get the information the sooner we can start working the case and try to trace where it comes from.”

Shooting threats are taken extremely seriously by the department, Timmons said.

“This kind of stuff, it is a felony,” Timmons said. “It’s zero tolerance when it comes to stuff like this.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.