Gresham High School has a safe status and police are investigating unfounded reports of weapons

GRESHAM, Ore. (KATU) — Gresham High School was placed on “secure” status Wednesday morning “due to unsubstantiated reports of weapons on campus,” the school said in a letter to parents.

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“Gresham Police are on scene and investigating as these reports are believed to be related to the rumors that have been circulating in the community throughout the week. Additional campus monitors and administrators are at the school for supervision and support,” the letter said.

During a “Secure” phase, the external doors are locked and no one can enter or leave the building. Lessons continue at school. The district advises people not to enter the building

The letter was sent to KATU News by a parent of a Gresham High student and was later confirmed by the Gresham-Barlow School District.

At 12:41 p.m., the district sent a second letter to parents that read in part: “In response to rumors circulating on social media, we have confirmed that the student involved in the incident on September 20th did not return to school and did not return to campus. Furthermore, there were no threats against the school from this or any other student.”

“This cycle of threats and rumors spread online is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common in the age of social media. Schools experiencing a violent or threatening event are often inundated with numerous additional/mock online threats. Rumors and discussions about these threats are circulating in the school community. In many cases, the same rumor circulates more than once in the community, as with each sharing or retelling, details are easily changed, embellished, or lost. We encourage students, parents and staff to seek information directly from the Gresham-Barlow School District. Police will also communicate with the community about threats that are found to be credible or when an active incident occurs that threatens the safety of the community,” said Gresham Detective and Public Information Officer Adam Wright.

This is a developing story and KATU will update this post as more information becomes available.