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Four Lampasas ISD students arrested over 'threatening violence' at high school

Four Central Texas high school students were arrested Friday.

Four Lampasas High School students were arrested Friday after school officials and police said they allegedly made remarks threatening violence at the school.

Lampasas Police said another student overheard the other four students discussing the Florida shooting during lunch. During that conversation, the four students began to discuss how to execute a similar shooting at Lampasas High School, the police department said.

Another student who overheard the conversation told the assistant principal, who notified the school resource officer, Lampasas ISD Superintendent Chane Rascoe said in a post to parents. School staff contacted the four students' parents and sent them home from school.

The Lampasas County Attorney's Office was briefed on the matter and recommended the four students be charged with Class A misdemeanor counts of making False Alarm or Report.

Lampasas Police arrested Devin Dakota Magana, 18, and Dennis Martinez, also 18, at their homes on Friday afternoon. Both were taken to the Lampasas County Jail. The other two students were juvenile girls. They were taken to the Lampasas Police Department by their parents. Police said the girls were processed and then referred to Juvenile Probation.

Read Rascoe's entire statement on the matter below.

Dear Parents:

I am writing to inform you about the arrests today of four Lampasas High School students by our Lampasas Police Department after a report that these individuals allegedly made remarks threatening violence at the school. A student reported the conversation to our high school assistant principal. The assistant principal notified the School Resource Officer immediately, and the school and police department commenced simultaneous investigations.

The responsible students will be charged by law enforcement, meanwhile we will follow district policies and procedures and take appropriate action in handling this issue. We want to assure you that we take all security related incidents very seriously, and we will always exercise caution regarding matters of safety.

We ask that parents, particularly in high school and middle school, have an important discussion with students this weekend about using good judgment. We have seen examples of students using good judgment in reporting these incidents to trusted adults.

Administrators and teachers at all campuses have been meeting with students to explain the consequences that can occur if they make a threat against the school. However, it is important that this message be reinforced at home. Students need to know that it is never acceptable to even joke about threatening a school and that these matters are serious and will be pursued as such.

At the same time, please let your child(ren) know that if they see or hear of any type of threatening language suggesting violence against the school or other students to report it immediately.

We must work together to make sure our students are in a safe environment in our schools. This is, and always will be, our first priority.

Sincerely,

Chane Rascoe, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Lampasas Independent School District

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