An Atlanta, Texas, High School teen was arrested Wednesday in an investigation regarding a prank note threatening to shoot other students, said Lt. Alan Williams with Atlanta Police Department.
Corbin Cook, 17, was arrested without incident for disruptive activities, which is a Class B misdemeanor under the Texas Education Code, according to Williams.
In regards to a charge of destructive activities, the Texas Education Code states, "Any person who is convicted the third time of violating this section is ineligible to attend any institution of higher education receiving funds from this state before the second anniversary of the third conviction."
Cook confessed to his part in the incident and was transferred to adult lockup in the Cass County jail, Williams said.
Williams said the note, which mentioned shooting other students, had some phrasing that appeared to threaten harm to black students, but it is believed that a black student may have written the note.
"They were just trying to do it as a prank to get out of class," Williams said.
Williams said the note hit social media sites, such as Facebook right away-even as police were on scene investigating.
"It all started yesterday, and we got a pretty good bit of it closed out this afternoon," Williams said. "We have made one arrest and will possibly make more."
Williams said the threatening note was written on a large piece of paper, somewhat like an "oversized Post-it note" with adhesive on the top. The note was found in the restroom.
Though the note was "threatening to shoot tomorrow," police had no idea how long the note had been in the restroom. Williams said police converged on the school immediately to investigate.
"Just the threat of harm was bad enough, but to throw race into it was just as bad," he added.
Williams said police will be interviewing several more students today to investigate and that more arrests may be made.
"The plan was that one of the students wrote the note and (another student) was going to take it to the principal's office," Williams said. "They were thinking that the school would shut down. The goal was to get evacuated. Whoever was supposed to bring it to the principal's office dropped it. We are still trying to figure out the truth on that bit.
"It's a scary world we live in, and we want (students) to know we aren't just there to arrest them. We are there to help them, too."