Greenville and Commerce schools deal with gun threats this week

File / eExtra News

Both Greenville Middle School and Commerce High School experienced gun violence threats from students earlier this week. In both cases, district officials were able to thwart a disaster.

A staff member reportedly found a message containing a threat to “shoot up the school” written on a restroom wall at Greenville Middle School after school on Tuesday. Greenville Independent School District Police Chief Oscar Serrato sent a letter out to GMS parents that evening explaining there would be heightened security and classes would continue as usual on Wednesday as they found “no evidence that this is a viable threat.”

On Wednesday, the campus was closed to visitors and students were not CHS to bring backpacks on campus. Parents who needed to pick up their students for any reason were advised to stay in their vehicles upon arrival and call the front office to have an officer escort the student to the car and check the ID of the person picking them up.

Those with information that could help the GISD police department with their investigation into this threat are urged to call 903-259-2664, send an email to serratoo@greenvilleisd.com, or send an anonymous tip through the district’s website at grenvilleisd.com.

At Commerce Middle School, a student who pulled a fire alarm without cause told Commerce ISD police he “had a weapon in his backpack.” Officers searched the student’s backpack, as well as places the student had been, and found no evidence of any weapons, according to CISD Superintendent Charlie Alderman.

“Commerce ISD takes these events seriously and we will refer all violations to law enforcement for possible charges,” Alderman added.

There is no longer an active investigation into the student’s allegations at CHS.