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Communication between a student, the student’s parent and authorities led to increased security Friday on the campus of Little Cypress Junior High.

Orange Police Major Wade Robinson told Orange Newsmedia that Orange Police received a call at approximately 5:05 p.m. Thursday from a concerned citizen about threats made at the school.

“It was a third-party threat,” Robinson said. “One kid heard another kid make a threat. The kid has been removed from school. We are talking to him and getting the facts of the case. If there is an offense, we are going to pursue charges.”

Robinson said detectives were on campus Friday, but stressed there is no immediate threat.

“The kid is not at school or campus, and we are in contact with him and conducting the investigation,” he said. “There is not any threat or danger out at the school at this time.”

In all, Little Cypress–Mauriceville CISD Superintendent Stacey Brister said seven Orange Police Department officers were on the junior high campus Friday patrolling the halls and working with the students who made the report of the alleged issue with another student.

She said all investigative avenues are being pursued.

“It’s scary in the world we live in,” Brister said. “As for the response process, we do have a procedure we follow in how we conduct these investigations. The very first thing we do is contact the police and get them involved immediately.”

The school district put out a statement on social media Thursday alerting the community of the developing situation.

Brister said she knows such announcements make people worried.

“We live in a world where you have to take safety very seriously,” she said. “It unnerves people, but we don’t want to hide the fact that this verbal comment was made. We also work with our parents and students involved, whether that is one or two students or a large group of students.”

The superintendent said she is comfortable saying the early investigation determined the threat began from one student.

“It (process) is not over,” according to Brister. “There are a lot of steps you go through once we get word of a threat. You also give due process to our students. It is an ongoing investigation and process. That is not something that is completed quickly. There are hours and hours of work put into securing and making sure our kids and buildings are safe.”