ST. LOUIS _ Classes were canceled at Belleville West and Belleville East high schools Wednesday after reports of a "credible threat" made by a former student against a current student.
Belleville Township High School District 201 Superintendent Jeff Dosier said the former student was a male who had been a student at Belleville West. The threat was targeted at a female Belleville East student, Dosier said.
In an update at 8:30 a.m., Dosier said the former student, 18, was in police custody.
Earlier in the morning, Dosier said it was feared the man making the threat might have had a gun. It was not clear whether he had a weapon when taken into custody.
Police learned about the threat early Wednesday and called Dosier. He said the district started alerting families about the closure about 6 a.m. Dosier had said in a Facebook post about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday that students and staff members should stay away from the campuses until further notice.
Dosier told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that police had recommended to him that he close the high schools. He said both Belleville West and Belleville East will be closed for the day. Police searched the school early Wednesday for weapons. School officials aren't sure what had been found, as of 9 a.m., said Assistant Superintendent Brian Mentzer.
It was supposed to be the last day of school. Final exams, Dosier said, will be rescheduled for Thursday.
"Belleville police felt is was credible enough and that (the former student) may have had a weapon," Dosier said. "Obviously in this day and age we can't take any chances."
Dosier added, "We were concerned about the second student's friends being targeted."
