School shooting threat made in Illinois prompts extra security in Iowa

The Newton school district and the local police department have been made aware of a shooting threat against a high school in Illinois, whose town and county share the same name as the Iowa community.

Newton Police Department in Iowa received information obtained from an individual by the Newton Police Department in Illinois of a school shooting threat that is said to occur Oct. 27 at Jasper County High School.

The threat was obtained through social media, authorities stated in a press release. The recipient of the SnapChat contacted police in Illinois. Based on the message, the location of the potential shooting is vague.

Illinois police shared the threat with all Jasper County/Newton law enforcement agencies in the United States out of an abundance of caution. At this time, authorities have been unable to verify the validity or origin of the threat.

As a precaution, the Newton Police Department in Iowa and the Newton Community School District are implementing additional security measures to ensure the safety of students, parents and staff.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com