School shooting threat made by student at Cheney Middle School

Some West Fargo parents are questioning why they weren't notified sooner surrounding a school shooting threat Thursday.

A student is on suspension and is not being allowed back while an investigation is underway.

The district is trying to calm the waters. They sent out an updated e-mail late Thursday afternoon telling parents about the threat, made by a student at Cheney Middle School.

In it, they say the student is going to be held out for the rest of the week.

On Wednesday, students told school officials about the boy making threats. A check of his locker found nothing and the boy was sent home with his parents.

Parents remain concerned about the how the incident was handled.

"I was on edge for the rest of the day. I went and picked up my stepson from school," Cheney Middle School Mom Erica Thomas says. "We drove by and there was no police presence. I was really shocked. We don't know if that threat was real or not, but every threat needs to be perceived as such."

A threat assessment is part of the investigation and the school says once completed, parents and students will be notified.

"I would prefer to be notified within a couple of hours if the threat has been contained," Thomas says.

District officials say the school's principal will make an announcement Friday morning to address these rumors.

Counselors will also be there for students needing reassurance.

The threat assessment is lengthy, 21 pages long. They'll be trying to figure out what motivated the student, is there a history of violent behaviors and the mental health of the student.

It also wants to determine if there was someone or a group of people that were targeted by the threat.

Finally, it's the method the district will use to figure out the best action to take moving forward.

The district says they've been talking with police and are confident in their decision to have school Friday morning.