The 20 days that shook Arizona: Chilling statistics reveal extent of threats

Phoenix, Arizona: New statistics have laid bare a very troubling trend in school threats across Arizona, with over 130 threats reported in just 20 days during September. These incidents, tracked by the Arizona Counterterrorism Information Center, represent more than 40% of all school threats reported this year.

The threats, which include shooting and weapons-related incidents, are part of a growing national trend, according to an investigative report by 12 News. The surge is raising concerns among law enforcement and school officials.

Between September 4 and September 24, 130 school threats were reported statewide. The majority of these threats involved potential shootings or weapons at school, with eight bomb threats and eight other general threats. Some threats were found to be duplicates or not tied to any specific Arizona school, yet they still require significant resources to investigate.

Across the Phoenix metro area, multiple schools have been subjected to threats on consecutive days. In some cases, students have been arrested for making specific threats, with at least one student facing felony charges after making threats against multiple Valley schools. Another student was arrested for making a threat against Sierra Linda High School, where they posted images of a gun, the school, and a list of students, all on social media.

Law enforcement agencies in cities like Scottsdale and Mesa have also been dealing with a high number of school threats. Mesa police revealed that while many of the threats come from students, some have originated from online sources outside the country. Despite the origin, each threat is taken seriously and requires careful investigation, putting additional strain on school and police resources.