Though a threat posted on social media Monday night involving the Portage Township schools was not deemed credible, Portage Police Chief Michael Candiano said in a statement that police will be pursuing charges against two of the juveniles involved because of the impact the allegations had on the community.
“We are still in belief there was never a credible threat to any Portage schools. However, as a consequence of the panic caused by their actions, we are seeking charges against several of the involved individuals,” Candiano said in a Facebook post on Tuesday night that provided further details of the events that began to unfold the night of Sept. 9.
Candiano said Wednesday the police reports have been shared with the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office for review and police are deferring to that office to determine what the charges might be.
As of Monday night, Candiano said in the social media post, “we had believed there was not an actual threat made to any Portage Township School. The evidence suggested several juveniles had a conversation, with no factual basis, and it was shared on social media. At that point, we released our statement, indicating we did not believe there was a credible threat. However, as the investigation was still continuing we did not provide all the specific details.”
Portage Township schools had an additional police presence Tuesday as a precautionary measure, Candiano said.
“There was no indication any of this was factually based on any threats or any knowledge of anyone claiming to do violence,” Candiano said
A text conversation between two students, shared on social media by a third student, started the community concern and the investigation.
“From there it quickly spread throughout Portage and the surrounding area,” Candiano said. Police were able to confirm the majority of the information from messages and posts found on one of the subject’s phones, which police gathered as evidence.
Candiano thanked those who shared the messages with police and said the Portage Township Schools and Portage Police Department would continue to investigate alleged threats as if they were real.
“I sincerely hope parents will have conversations with their children about the seriousness and the consequences of recklessly creating and spreading false information on social media,” he said.
