Gates Chili Central School District

We wanted to alert you to a concerning, new social media trend involving Snapchat. While this is NOT happening in our schools or Monroe County, students elsewhere in the state and country have been posting the following message or a similar version of it on Snapchat:

"I needed a new account to make this, me and my friends have gotten bullied for too long and we can't take it no more. October 26th, Tuesday at [times vary], we will be shooting up [schools vary]. We plan on shooting 10 administrators and 50-70 kids...."

We want to stress that we have NOT seen this posted in Gates Chili, however, we are aware of these posts being reported in other areas of New York State and in New Jersey.

We understand that these posts can be disturbing and therefore, wanted to make you aware of them. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Gates Police Department are also aware of the posts, and we continue to partner with them regarding school safety matters. The MCSO released the following statement today: “The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has been made aware of the situation. MCSO has communicated with the law enforcement agencies in the jurisdictions at hand, located outside of Monroe County. As always, if you see something, say something and call 911.”

If you need to report a safety concern after hours, our Safe School Helpline is available 24 hours a day:

• Call 1-800-418-6423 ext. 359
• Text TIPS to 66746
• www.safeschoolhelpline.com

Please speak with your student about appropriate social media use and the consequences that can result from making such threats. If you or your student have particular concerns, please reach out to your school principal.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students safe.