STEVENSVILLE – Authorities in the Bitterroot say the threat that prompted a lockdown at Lone Rock School on Monday was a hoax.
Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton said investigators worked throughout the day to determine the origin of a threatening note and discovered that the note was a hoax and there was no threat to students.
Sheriff Holton added that there would be a law enforcement presence at the school on Tuesday as the investigation continues into what is now a “False Reports To Law Enforcement”
Lone Rock School Superintendent Scott Stielger says the middle school was locked down as the threat was specifically directed at that part of the school campus.
Sheriff Holton is also thanking Lone Rock School staff and administration — as well as the parents of the students involved — for their cooperation.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to look into the incident and a misdemeanor citation for False Reports is a possibility, according to Sheriff Holton.
Also on Monday, a threat prompted Florence Carlton School to go into a “modified lockdown.”
Sheriff Holton credited the quick reporting by students and response by deputies for making sure both schools were safe.
He added that the Sheriff’s Office has a zero tolerance policy towards threats of school violence and is actively investigating both cases for criminal charges.
Sheriff Holton asks that everyone report potentially threatening situations to the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office at (406) 363-3033.
