In December 2021, the Manitou Springs Police Department began investigating a threat against schools in Manitou Springs School District 14. The investigation continued after a similar threat was made in the first week of January 2022.
Investigating officers identified a juvenile suspect who, after an investigation, was arrested Jan. 6 and charged with two felony counts of inciting destruction of life or property; two felony counts of false report of explosives, weapons or harmful substances; and two misdemeanor counts of interference with staff, faculty, or students of an educational institution.
Manitou Springs School District 14 leadership was helpful and fully cooperative throughout this investigation.
Since a juvenile is involved in this matter, MSPD will not release any identifying information about the suspect or any further information on the investigation.
“Please remember that this juvenile is innocent until proven guilty,” the city’s press release stated.
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
District Superintendent Elizabeth Domangue sent the following to the school community on Friday, Jan. 7. (It has been edited slightly for clarity and space considerations.)
Late in the evening on Tuesday, Dec. 14, I, in partnership with our district team and Manitou Springs Police Department, made the difficult decision to not have school on the following day (Dec. 15) for Manitou Springs Middle School and Manitou Springs High School. This was the result of a threat that we received after school on Dec. 14.
While the threat was unsubstantiated (no leads) at the time, we needed additional time to further understand the dynamics of the threat. As we all know, there was then an unusual windstorm that impacted our community significantly, including telephones and internet access for MSSD.
We would like to thank:
• The Manitou Springs Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that assisted in this investigation to prevent the potential for school violence;
• The staff of MSMS and MSHS, who asked important questions and stepped up in tremendous ways;
• Our parents and guardians for having important conversations with your children and being partners with us along the way;
• Our students for the care they have shown for their peers, staff and themselves; and
• Our school and district administrators, district security team and school resource officer Mandy Strider for their diligence and willingness to leave no stone uncovered.
As a public educator for more than 20 years, my first lesson as a pre-service teacher was “safety first,” especially when a child’s parent is not present. This goes for all children.
I, along with every staff member, are also the children of our parents. “Safety first” requires collective efficacy and collaboration as a community approach.
We rely on our community to help us ensure the safety of our educational process. If anyone sees or hears about a threat or a safety issue, share this information with a trusted adult or a law enforcement agency, or report it to Safe2Tell at 1-877-542-7233 or safe2tell.org.
We will be providing an opportunity to engage in a community dialogue about safety, security and wellness. More information will be provided about the details of this community dialogue.