By Roger Lanse

A Silver City Police Department officer was dispatched to La Plata Middle School on Friday, Apr. 16, 2021, in reference to a school threat. Upon arrival, the assistant principal informed the officer that a student had reported another student saying there was going to be a school shooting the following Monday. According to an SCPD incident report narrative, school officials interviewed the student concerned who admitted threatening the school saying he had an Uzi in his backpack, but stated it was only a joke.

The narrative stated the student's mother was contacted, who told the student this was not something to joke about. The backpack was checked, and no weapon was found and the student was told to return to school on Monday for in school suspension. Later, detectives attempted to locate the mother to follow up on the incident and was told by a family member she was at Western New Mexico University watching another son's wrestling match. According to the narrative, the mother told detectives she was more interested in watching her other son wrestle than speak to detectives.

An SCPD officer and the superintendent of Silver Schools both determined it would not be wise to allow the student back in school on Monday. The incident remains under investigation.