Kansas

Multiple Kansas City metro school districts investigate threats of violence

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2024

Multiple Kansas City metro school districts investigate threats of violence

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A screenshot of a social media post grabbed the attention of multiple school districts in the Kansas City area Monday morning.

Districts said parents also saw the post that was forwarded, and were rightfully concerned about the vague threat of a school shooting. The post threatened violence at schools located in five school districts.

The school districts said they worked with police to make sure students were safe at schools.

Each district also emailed families to communicate and let them know what was happening.

BLUE SPRINGS

The Blue Springs Police Department said one person is in custody accused of using Snapchat to make threats toward Blue Springs High School Sunday.

An undated photo shows Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri.(KCTV5)

Blue Springs High School Principal, Tom Alderman, sent a letter to families making them aware of the incident.

Dear BSHS Families:
Today, the Blue Springs Police Department and BSSD Department of Public Safety became aware of an inappropriate Snapchat story that involved a possible threat to our school. The cooperating law enforcement agencies and school administrators swiftly began an investigation. Within a couple of hours, the individual responsible was identified and located. The individual is now in police custody, and the appropriate legal and disciplinary action will follow.
I want to remind you to talk to your student about the seriousness of making a threat. Threats are not tolerated, even if intended as a joke. Students cannot say, write, post, or draw anything that might be considered a threat. You and your student need to know that the consequences for making a threat are significant and can result in expulsion from the Blue Springs School District.
Thank you to those who came forward and shared the information with us. It takes all of us to keep our school safe. Please inform a staff member if you or your student become aware of any possible threats to our school.
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According to the email, the person will face appropriate legal and disciplinary action.

GRAIN VALLEY

Schools in the Grain Valley School District were also included in the vague threat on social media.

A public information officer for the Grain Valley Police Department posted information about it investigation into the threat on Facebook.

School Board Members are also talking about the threat of violence against students and staff members.

The assistant superintendent said they take every threat seriously and that is why parents and students may see police on school property.

We want to take a moment to address a recent social media post, including a vague threat that has been circulating, mentioning several school districts across the Kansas City metro area, including both Grain Valley middle schools and Grain Valley high school.
We understand that this post may have raised concerns within our community, and we want to assure you that your students safety is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, police presence is active at each identified location. This security is part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff.
While we have not identified any specific threat to our schools, we are remaining vigilant and proactive. We will continue to work closely with local law enforcement and take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our school community.
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Please be assured that we are monitoring the situation closely, and will keep you informed of any further developments.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to keep our schools safe.

RAYTOWN

The Raytown School District says it is also taking the threats seriously, even though, after investigating, the district said it doesn’t believe the threat is credible.

Raytown Quality Schools emailed families about it’s plan to handle the threat earlier Monday.

Dear Raytown Quality Schools Students, Staff and Families:
This message addresses threats, circulating across the state and country, made against schools in the district. We received notification of threats posted on social media sites, as well as through our Courage to Report line and state police, identifying multiple neighboring school districts, including Raytown Quality Schools. After the initial and ongoing investigation, we do not believe the threat is credible.
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Any threat of school violence is serious. We will remain vigilant and are taking proactive steps, with the implementation of school safety plans, availability of staff to support students, and increased law enforcement presence including Raytown Police Department, Kansas City Police Department and RQS security on campus.
The district encourages parents to discuss the importance of safety and reporting concerns with their children. In the event of a social media threat, we ask that this information is not forwarded or reposted, but instead take a screenshot and provide it to our school administrators or district office staff. Reposting information makes it difficult to identify the source of the threat and hinders the investigation. The information you provide is held in confidence. The Courage to Report line is another resource available. When reported, information is communicated to the school district and law enforcement.
Unfortunately, following school shootings, there is typically a rise in copycat threats across the country. Threats posted as a “joke” or replicating these incidents are disruptive to schools, and will be addressed in accordance with the student code of conduct and with criminal law. We encourage you to monitor your student’s social media and check their backpacks.
I am grateful and appreciative of everyone in our community for your partnership and support of this important endeavor of school safety. Thank you to all those who reported the threat. Let’s continue to remain vigilant and partner together to ensure our children receive the education they deserve.
In conclusion, I would like to offer condolences to Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia where the latest school shooting occurred. Matters like this are tragic and very difficult to cope with for their community and communities across the country.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox, Superintendent

The school district asks families to talk to their students about the seriousness of making threats like these, and the consequences.

Raytown School District increased the rate of pay for teachers based on their experience and... — Raytown School District increased the rate of pay for teachers based on their experience and when they continue their own education.(KCTV)

They also ask families to talk about the importance of notifying authorities when a threat is made, and not sharing them on social media.

LEE’S SUMMIT

The Lee’s Summit School District said it is also aware of the threat that included schools in its district.

The district said the threat was investigated, and at this point, doesn’t have any information that it is a credible threat.

Lee's Summit High School — Lee’s Summit High School(KCTV 5)

Like other districts, Lee’s Summit said it takes every threat seriously and safety and security are top priorities.

The school district emailed the following information to families earlier Monday.

We are writing to make you aware of precautions we took today in response to a social media post that contains a vague reference to Missouri school shootings at five school districts in the KC-metro. The post is nondescript but appears to list schools throughout the metro in these districts. Our building is one of four LSR7 buildings included.
The school district and the police department have not received any information indicating a credible threat to our school community. Our police partners have also let us know that it is not uncommon for posts spreading fear and misinformation to circulate across the country following school shootings.
However, out of an abundance of caution, we are keeping in close contact with the LSPD today and have requested LSPD presence at each of the buildings listed in the post.
Although we do not have any information that corroborates this post, we wanted to make sure you are aware of the situation and assure you that we take all types of threats seriously in partnership with our police department.
We also continue to strongly encourage students and others to “say something when you see something.” By doing so, we create a safer school, school district and community. Please help us in keeping everyone safe and let the proper authorities know any time you have any information related to the safety of our school community.
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I appreciate your continued support of a safe learning environment for our students. We will communicate additional information as necessary.

Anyone who has information about any of the threats, or who sent the messages is asked to contact police in their city and report the information.

GRANDVIEW

The Grandview School District said it shared a statement with staff and families. That statement is below.

Recently, a social media post has come to our attention mentioning schools in our area, including our district. We take all reports seriously and have made local law enforcement aware of the situation.
While we do not have any information to confirm the credibility of this post, we want to keep you informed and assure you that we are taking the situation seriously, in close partnership with our local police department.
Out of an abundance of caution, we will not be allowing visitors into the building as law enforcement looks into the matter further. Also, there will be an additional police presence throughout our school community.
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We want to continually encourage our students and families to report anything they believe to be suspicious or a potential threat to student and staff safety.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to prioritize the safety of our students and staff.

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Kansas

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska

Published

26 minutes ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska

The Kansas State Wildcats are officially entering the “pay-attention” neighborhood. After a 98-77 drubbing of a decent Mississippi State squad last night, the 5-0 Wildcats are starting to appear like a legitimately solid squad…one that could be capable of fun things if they can keep things rolling into the heart of the season.

They’ve got another big test tonight. The Cats will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the championship of the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic. The Huskers are also 5-0, and advanced to the championship game after an 84-72 win over New Mexico in the opening game of the classic. The Huskers are led by Fred Hoiberg, who is in his seventh season in Lincoln, and are looking for a return to the NCAA Tournament after winning the College Basketball Crown to end the 2024-25 season.

The last time these two teams met was Dec. 17th, 2023, when the Huskers beat up on the Wildcats 62-46 in Manhattan, a win that snapped a 7-game win streak for the Wildcats over their former Big 12 conference mates. But that K-State team was significantly more offensively inept than the current iteration of the TangCats. These TangCats are lighting up the nets with a return to the “fun” brand of basketball that marked Jerome Tang’s first season in Manhattan. And last night, the Wildcats showed they could even manage some defense more consistently than the final couple minutes.

This will be the biggest test yet for the Wildcats. A win would be a huge springboard into the heart of the season. A loss doesn’t hurt, as long as it’s productive. Can the Wildcats handle the quick turnaround and keep building?

We’ve got an 8:30pm CT tipoff for the championship game of the Hall of Fame Classic tonight from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, and you can catch the action on NBCSN and streaming on Peacock with Steve Schlanger (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst) on the call.

If you can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across portions of the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wade Gerstner (play-by-play) and Clent Stewart (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be available online at K-Statesports.com and via the Varsity Network app, as well as on satellite radio at Sirius/XM Ch. 383. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.

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Kansas

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis

TOPEKA — For nearly 20 weeks, certain lawyers, paralegals, psychologists, interpreters, court reporters and investigators were not paid. Federal funding for a group of criminal justice professionals expired in early July, and the government promised to reimburse them in October, but the longest shutdown in U.S. history delayed that promise. As of Nov. 14, the […]

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Kansas

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Multiple shots were fired at a house where a Halloween party was taking place in a suspected domestic violence incident that killed a 20-year-old woman in Kansas City, Kansas, earlier this month, according to court records released Wednesday.

An affidavit released by Wyandotte County District Court details what happened in the early-morning hours of Nov. 1 at the Kansas City, Kansas, home, where Ana Juarez was fatally shot. The affidavit was filed in the case of 22-year-old Kevin Calamaco-Morales, who is accused of killing Juarez. Charging documents say the two were in a relationship.

Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called to the home on North 11th Street near Barnett Avenue just before 4:30 a.m. Nov. 1. Officers found Juarez with a gunshot wound to her lower back. She was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Investigators interviewed witnesses inside the house and collected video, phone records and Facebook messages sent to the victim that led them to arrest Calamaco-Morales, according to the affidavit.

FOX4 has reached out to an attorney listed for Calamaco-Morales for comment.

Witnesses told police that Juarez went out with friends to Westport and some house parties for Halloween. Back at the house in KCK, they said they noticed Juarez was ignoring her phone, which was “blowing up” with calls or texts. Moments later, they heard gunshots, the witnesses said, and they took cover. Some of the witnesses stated that they saw Juarez getting up and opening the front door.

By the time the witnesses came out from hiding, police officers arrived, and Juarez was lying on the ground.

The house had been hit by gunfire, with some of the bullets entering the home. The victim’s car was also hit by a bullet with the driver’s side window shattered.

Charging documents say that at least one witness told police they believed Calamaco-Morales was involved in the shooting due to his attitude toward Juarez leading up to their Halloween plans. The witness claimed Juarez told them that Calamaco-Morales was controlling and that he initially didn’t want her to go out for Halloween.

Investigators obtained phone records that showed that a number registered to Calamaco-Morales called her 18 times between 4:21 and 4:23 a.m., according to the affidavit. The affidavit also says investigators recovered Facebook messages that were sent to the victim at 4:21 a.m.

Kansas City, Kansas, police took Calamaco-Morales into custody later that day for questioning.

Police also noted that at the address where Calamaco-Morales was taken into custody, they noticed a Honda Accord that was similar to the suspect vehicle they saw on a video that was captured near the shooting scene that morning. The video showed a vehicle parking in front of the home at 4:19 a.m. and a person exiting the passenger side and firing shots.

Charging documents say the Honda had a Kansas tag that was flagged by a license plate reader as being at Seventh Street and Quindaro Boulevard at 4:31 a.m., about nine minutes after the shooting and two miles from the scene.

Calamaco-Morales was arrested and Wyandotte County prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm on Nov. 3.

He remains in the Wyandotte County jail with bond set at $500,000.

The next court hearing is set for Dec. 16.

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