Vague threat posted on social media

A Hilo elementary school assured parents of no danger Thursday after an extremely vague threat was posted on social media.

Derek Inoshita, communications specialist for the state Department of Education, said a possibly threatening social media post was discovered and reported Thursday morning by a student at Mauka Lani Elementary School on Oahu. The post simply reported that the writer had heard rumors of an unknown threat made to an unspecified school and advised parents to keep their children at home.

However, Inoshita said, there was nothing to indicate that the vague threat applied to any specific school, on any particular island — or even any particular state.

“It could have applied to any school, anywhere, at any time,” Inoshita said.

Nonetheless, some schools sent notices to parents informing them of their children’s safety.

Dennis O’Brien, principal of Ernest Bowen de Silva Elementary School, wrote in a notice to parents and guardians urging students and families to refrain from reposting threats and rumors online.

“According to police, reposting a threat is as good as making the threat itself and contributes to prolonging the event,” O’Brien wrote.

Inoshita said only a handful of schools sent similar notices throughout the state.