A Perry Middle School student has been charged with threat of terrorism after allegedly saying he would “shoot up the school” Tuesday, according to a statement released jointly Wednesday by Perry Police Chief Jim Archer and Perry Community School District Superintendent Clark Wicks.
According to the statement, a concerned parent contacted the Perry Police Department about 6 p.m. Tuesday and said his child and “several other students had overheard another sixth grade student allegedly make a threat to ‘shoot up the school.’”
This incident occurred on the playground of the Perry Elementary School after the end of the school day, the parent told police.
Investigating officers with the Perry Police Department responded to the student’s residence and interviewed both the student and the parents. The student admitted to making the threat but claimed to be “joking” about it, according to the statement.
The officers searched the residence for firearms and determined there were no firearms in the home and the student did not have access to any weapons. It was also determined the same student made similar threats in December 2024.
Due to the seriousness of the threat and its repetition, the student has been charged with one count of threat of terrorism, a class D felony, and will be referred to Dallas County Juvenile Court Services, the statement said.
The Perry Police Department and the Perry Community School District do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the school, students or staff.
“The Perry Police Department will continue to fully investigate, arrest and charge anyone making threats of this nature toward our community,” the joint statement said. “The Perry Police Department and the Perry Community School District take any threat as a serious threat and investigate them fully.”
Two Perry Middle School students were similarly charged in September 2024 after “jokingly” discussing discharging firearms at the school.
