WALSENBURG— Walsenburg Police Captain Vince Suarez has conducted up towards 20 interviews associated with a reported school shooting threat reported by a parent to police on Wednesday, February 5. Suarez began working the threat case Wednesday night and the final interviews were concluded on Tuesday, February 11. There was an increased police and sheriff’s presence at the Walsenburg schools on Monday. Police are not releasing many details of the investigation, but did say their interviews with teachers and students showed a teacher and student reported the threat to JMHS Principal George Purnell during the last hour of the school day Wednesday, February 5. Police were first notified of the threat by a parent who came to the police department at about 5:30 that night. Suarez said he was immediately in contact with Re-1 Superintendent of Schools Dawn Olson, who remained in frequent contact with police throughout the investigation. The male student who is alleged
to have made the threat was interviewed initially by Suarez Wednesday night and a follow-up interview was conducted this past Monday. “We don’t feel a threat exists at this time based on the totality of the investigation,” Suarez told the Huerfano World Journal late Tuesday afternoon. “There was no connection to the law enforcement activity (an exercise) at the school Wednesday morning, to the shooting threat, “ he said. Nor was there any connection between the threat and Thursday’s school closure due to cold weather. “Dawn Olson stayed in contact with police and we had very good communication,” said Walsenburg Police Chief Tommie McLallen, “we have a great relationship with school administration and are working to improve our relationship with individual school building administrators.”
