Geneva police confirm gun threat at middle school was a hoax

GENEVA, Ill. - A gun threat posted online about a Geneva middle school on Thursday has been determined to be a hoax, according to police.

The Geneva Police Department was alerted by a parent at 9:18 a.m. after the threat was seen on the Ring app. An immediate investigation revealed that the threat was a repost of an incident from last school year, which had been found to be false.

Geneva police said the reposted threat was consistent with a rise in similar unsubstantiated threats targeting schools nationwide.

"The Geneva Police Department and District 304 take all threats of violence very seriously. At this time, Geneva Police say there is no active verified threat of violence at any Geneva school," Geneva police said in a press release.

While Geneva schools continued normal operations on Thursday, police took extra precautions by increasing patrols at all area schools.

Geneva police urge the public to report any potential threats immediately by calling 911.