Fort Payne Schools, Police Investigate Social Media Threat by Middle School Student

Fort Payne-Fort Payne City Schools and the Fort Payne Police Department are reassuring parents and the community after investigating a concerning social media post made by a Fort Payne Middle School student on Tuesday night.

According to Superintendent Brian L. Jett, the post, which appeared online around 9 p.m. on August 19, contained what were initially believed to be real handguns and a shotgun, along with a written threat. Law enforcement and school administrators quickly launched an investigation.

The investigation revealed that the weapons displayed in the post were not real firearms, but rather air-soft toys. Both the student and the student’s parents were interviewed to determine the origin of the post and evaluate the credibility of the threat.

“At this time, there are no credible threats involving the Fort Payne City School System,” Jett said in a statement to parents and staff. He emphasized that while the incident did not pose a real danger, the school system treats all threats with utmost seriousness.

School officials confirmed that Fort Payne City Schools will follow established board policy and the student code of conduct in handling the matter.

Jett assured families that the safety of students and staff remains the district’s top priority. “As always, we take any threat seriously, and wanted to make certain that you are aware,” he said.