CRESTVIEW — A rumor claiming a "bomb threat" was made against Crestview High School is unsubstantiated, area law enforcement agencies said.
The rumor started with misinformation posted on social media, officials said.
Okaloosa County School District community affairs program director Henry Kelley said the rumor grew from reports of a threat against un-named "bullies" found scrawled on the wall of a boys' bathroom stall.
The school's Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office resource officer was immediately notified when the graffiti was discovered and reported by a student Tuesday, Kelley said.
"We would like to share with our parents, when we were shared with the threat on the bathroom wall, we notified the SRO and the sheriff's office investigated," Kelley said.
"All we had was an unsubstantiated threat written on a bathroom stall," Kelley said.
A post on the OCSO Facebook page confirmed deputies were investigating the graffiti and confirmed no bomb threat was received.
"There have been no reports of a bomb threat at the school, contrary to information circulating on social media," the Facebook post from around 9 p.m. Thursday stated.
UPDATE PHONE NUMBERS
Kelley said the school sent out an automated call to parents when rumors surfaced.
The best way to avoid falling victim to social media rumors is for parents to assure they have an updated phone number on file with their children's schools, he said.
Some parents said they did not receive a call from the school, based on comments to posts on Crestview Police Department and the OCSO Facebook pages.
"We send out automatic callouts so we can notify parents of events," Kelley said. "We need to know parents' numbers are up to date, and that parents answer the phone when the school calls. This is the most effective way for the school district to communicate with parents."
The sheriff's office Facebook page stated there would be additional security at Crestview High today as a precaution.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Graffiti leads to Crestview High School bomb threat rumor