Ladue Schools Cautious After Instagram Threat Used Image of Newtown Shooter

As is said in the vernacular: “All is quiet on the western front.”

After a threat was made anonymously on an Instagram account sometime Wednesday, Fox 2 News reported a second Instagram account had been created and that the user profile picture was that of the shooter in the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, CT.

And with that Ladue school officials exerted extra caution and delivered an overnight message to school parents and the media that security would be heightened and extra caution taken at all buildings in the district on Thursday.

School officials were working with local police in Ladue, Olivette and Creve Coeur at 2 in the morning to make sure all security possible would be in place.

Local police were on patrol at all of the buildings, and all was quiet. The police patrolled all of the schools during high-volume hours like arrival and departure time of the students.

“We forwarded our complaint to the police. Something had to be on file for them to investigate,” said Susan Dielmann, the district’s director of communications. “Their forensics departments will try and determine if there is anyone that can be talked to.”

Ladue officials would like to talk to students, but so many photos are posted on Instagram accounts, finding any pattern is hard to do.

“I know the parents felt safe today. I really didn’t get any complaints. Attendance was down somewhat. Some parents erred on the side of caution keeping their kids home from school (yesterday),” she said.

The postings started at the Ladue Middle School which is a bit of irony. Ladue Middle School was named a “School of Character” in Missouri two months ago, and is now going on for recognition in a national contest.

“The police are very supportive. This is nothing we asked for, or created,” said Dielmann.

Ladue officials expect the school day today to be very quiet and business as usual, and the same goes for the rest of the school year.