On Friday, October 21st, in the North Gym, DEN hosted a special assembly to honor the 25th anniversary of Norman North and to celebrate homecoming. The assembly began with the singing of the national anthem and a speech from Dr. Garrett. Garrett then introduced the North’s very first principal, who talked about his time here. After introductions of former students and staff, as well as current staff, the football and pom seniors put on a dance. After the skit, DEN was in the process of introducing the 2022 homecoming candidates when the assembly came to an abrupt end. Admins instructed students to go to their 6th hours and, for teachers to lock the doors because of an active bomb threat.

The threat originated from a Snapchat photo that was AirDropped to several students at the assembly. The photo contained a threat alleging that there was a bomb somewhere in the bleachers of the gym.

“I was scared,” said junior Sophia Potts, a homecoming candidate, “We were confused and frantic, they told us to run to the locker room, lock the door, and evacuate.”

Panic quickly spread, not only through the school, but also made it back to the parents.

“It freaked me out,” said a parent of a Norman North student,  “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to know that your child’s school is under an active threat, I feel like more information could’ve been given to the parents.”

In an attempt to soothe the concerns of students and teachers, Dr. Garret sent the following email:

“NNHS Parents & Students,

Today during our homecoming assembly, several students alerted staff that they had received a photo via AirDrop. The photo alleged there was a bomb in the gym.

Norman Police Department quickly took control of the situation and determined the threat was not credible. However, out of an abundance of caution, they advised us to shorten the assembly and return students to class. Students were directed to return to 6th hour and classes have resumed as normal. NPD is currently investigating this issue, but it is important to note that at no time did NPD believe that any students or people in our building were in any danger.

We greatly appreciate the students who brought this to our attention and as always, we encourage students and families to immediately report concerns regarding school safety. Anyone with information regarding this situation is encouraged to contact a school administrator or NPD. Anonymous tips can be submitted via Crime Stoppers at 405-366-STOP or online at www.p3tips.com/1323 or via the P3 TIPS app (Google Play or the Apple Store).

It is important to note that threats of any kind are not tolerated, and any individual who makes threatening comments will be subject to disciplinary action under Norman Board of Education policy and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 405-366-5954.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kim Garrett
Principal
Norman North High School”

The Norman Police Department released a statement saying,

“As soon as our SROs learned about the possible threat, they immediately opened an investigation and identified the suspects.”

NPD also announced that they concluded their investigation and are pressing charges against the suspects in the Cleveland County District Court.