The Niskayuna Police Department isn’t brushing off threatening videos posted online targeting three area students, as rumors of a school shooting are dispelled.
High School Principal John Rickert said the two videos were brought to the school’s attention by the two students targeted in the videos posted to YouTube. School officials were alerted to the first video on Thursday, Oct. 27, and the second video the following day.
Police were contacted immediately and are still investigating in hopes of determining who posted the videos. Niskayuna Police Chief John Lubrant said the two Niskayuna students and a Schenectady High School student received emails that directed them to the videos.
Lubrant said the investigation is a priority for police and once found, the sender could face misdemeanor charges of aggravated harassment.
“[The videos] could definitely be construed to be threatening in nature,” Lubrant said. “It is an ongoing investigation and it is an absolute priority with us.”
The videos are now removed from YouTube, but Lubrant said he doesn’t know if website administrators or the poster removed the video.
“In essence, the video consists of violent or threatening rap music in the background and they also incorporate photographic images of the victims,” he said.
On Monday, Oct. 31, police had a presence at the high school in response to rumors of a school shooting, but investigators also interviewed the victims and other people of interest, according to Lubrant.
Ultimately, police determined there wasn’t a possibility of a school shooting in the near future.
“The shooting rumors have been investigated and people have been interviewed and looked at and it has been found that there is no credible threat that has been identified or existed over the last couple of days,” Lubrant said on Tuesday, Nov. 1. “If something new surfaces with respect to videos sent or shooting we are prepared to respond to that immediately.”
An attack happening on school grounds was suggested in the video, Rickert said. This created a “two-pronged problem,” he said, because school officials had to deal with the alleged threats towards the two students while trying to manage and control fast spreading rumors.
“As kids became aware of the videos … the rumors began to develop on how this was going to happen,” Rickert said. “I think the difficult part for the kids … is not hearing what exactly the police are doing leads them to create in their minds what is going on.”
The rumor of a third video related to a shooting threat also spread throughout the community and Rickert addressed these concerns in an email to parents over the weekend. School officials and police have only confirmed the existence of the first two videos.
School officials also are advising parents to communicate to their child that school is a safe place.
“The concern surrounding the YouTube videos and subsequent rumors and speculation had combined to create an atmosphere at the high school that is less than ideal. We want all students to feel safe and secure on our campus and in our schools,” Niskayuna Superintendent Susan Salvaggio said in a statement to parents.
After Monday went by without incident the student body appears to be more at ease, according to Rickert.
“Today was much, much better, you didn’t sense the anxiety you had in the halls yesterday,” Rickert said after school on Nov. 1.
Police are now focusing their investigation on tracking down who posted the video online. The department is working with another agency for technical support, too.
“We are currently actively conducting the IT or computer end of it with the objective of determining which computer it is sent from and identifying who sent it,” Lubrant said. “We want to address it because it was very disruptive to the academic atmosphere.”
Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact the Niskayuna Police Department by calling 374-3159 or High School Administration at 382-2511, and the proper extension number: Principal John Rickert at ext. 21702 or [email protected], Assistant Principal Rebecca Gleason at ext. 21709 or [email protected] and Assistant Principal Mark Treanor at ext. 21704 or [email protected].