A student is in custody and class was canceled Monday after law enforcement learned about
what they’re referring to as a “Columbine-style” threat made via Snapchat against Telluride High School.
The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office sent out a news release about the incident on Monday morning.
They say a student contacted Telluride High School staff on Sunday afternoon and let them know about a threat on Snapchat to “shoot students at school,” according to the news release.
Investigators say they also learned about a Snapchat message claiming explosives were placed around the school, prompting the superintendent to cancel class.
A student was taken into custody Sunday afternoon, and the sheriff’s office says officers found a rifle and handgun inside that person’s home. The student's name and age were not released.
At least five other students are being interviewed in connection to the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
School officials, police and a hazardous materials team were sent to the school on Monday to sweep it for explosives and any evidence of unusual activity. The FBI has also been called to assist with the probe into the threats.
As of Monday afternoon, nothing of note had been found in the school, the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office said and rumors of guns at the school were untrue.
Investigators are in the process of reviewing surveillance footage, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
The school building is expected to reopen at the normal time on Tuesday, but district officials will give parents the final notification.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Telluride Marshal’s Office at 970-728-3818.
Superintendent Mike Gass posted the following message to parents about the incident on the school's website:
On Sunday afternoon November 26th TSD staff were notified of a possible threat against the TMHS campus. Staff immediately notified the Telluride Marshall’s office who responded to the threat. We take every threat seriously and run down all leads to ensure safety of students and staff. We traced the information to a student who was taken into custody and will not be at school. We still have other students the Marshall’s office would like to follow up with tomorrow during the day. Due to the timing of events I do not feel confident in securing the campus in the dark and want to make sure our sweep is comprehensive and gives me the confidence to reopen. I understand this is a challenge for families and we will do our best resolve this and notify parents by noon Monday about Tuesday and afternoon practices. Tuesday should be an early release as usual.
