Fort Worth Police are investigating a social media threat made against Amon Carter-Riverside High School, prompting the Fort Worth ISD campus at 3301 Yucca Ave to go into secure status Friday morning as officers worked the scene. The department said its School Resource Unit was actively investigating and that there was no active threat at this time, even as additional resources were sent to the area as a precaution.
In a post on X, Fort Worth Police confirmed the investigation into the threat and noted that the school had been placed in secure status as a precaution while the inquiry continued. Under this protocol, WFAA reports, classroom instruction continues as normal inside the building, but all exterior doors are locked and additional safety measures are enforced — a lower-intensity response than a full lockdown, in which students shelter in place. The department asked anyone with information to say something if they see something, and provided both an emergency line at 911 and a non-emergency number, 817-392-4222, for tips. Police also noted that its social media account is not monitored around the clock.
A Campus With Deep Fort Worth Roots
Amon Carter-Riverside High School has stood in its Spanish Baroque-style building, designed by architect Wyatt C. Hedrick, since it opened as Riverside High School in 1936. The campus was renamed in 1941 to honor civic leader Amon G. Carter and is now designated a Historic and Cultural Landmark by the City of Fort Worth, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. It has also served the community beyond the classroom; Hoodline previously reported the school hosted a free community health and wellness fair in 2025.
Third Security Scare of the School Year
Friday's incident marks the latest in a string of threat investigations to hit Fort Worth ISD campuses since the 2026-27 school year began. On August 10, the first day of classes, O.D. Wyatt High School was placed on lockdown after five individuals, including an 18-year-old charged with making a terroristic threat, were detained over a photo showing a firearm on campus, according to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. Police searched vehicles and passed students through metal detectors during a controlled release that followed.
Just over a week later, Arlington Heights High School went into lockdown after initial reports of gunfire inside the building turned out to be fireworks lit inside a campus bathroom, as Hoodline reported at the time. It was the second gun-related scare at that school in two months. Earlier in the year, in May, multiple FWISD campuses were placed under secure status after receiving threatening emails referencing a bomb, triggering perimeter checks before officials confirmed there was no active explosive threat, per Hoodline.
How FWISD Handles Threats — and What the Law Says
Fort Worth ISD's official threat response protocols require district security officers and school resource officers to investigate every online rumor and social media threat, with mandatory email notifications sent to families whenever a credible threat is identified, according to the district's Safety and Security Department. The district has noted that widespread social media use nationwide has contributed to a surge in online school rumors and hoax threats. Deployment of School Resource Officers to campuses like Amon Carter-Riverside is also required under Texas House Bill 3, passed in 2023 in response to the Uvalde school shooting, which mandates that every Texas public school campus have at least one armed security officer on duty during regular school hours, per the Texas School Safety Center.
Legally, the stakes for anyone found responsible for the threat are significant. Under Texas Penal Code § 22.07, making a terroristic threat that interrupts or prevents the use of a school building is a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to legal summaries published by FindLaw. Texas law allows charges to be filed over threats made on social media even if no weapon is ultimately recovered.
A District Under State Oversight
The threat comes as Fort Worth ISD operates under a broader administrative shake-up. In late 2025, the Texas Education Agency initiated a state takeover of the district, appointing a state conservator and replacing its elected school board with a state-appointed Board of Managers, as reported by The Texas Tribune. Fort Worth ISD is the second-largest Texas school district to be placed under such state supervision since 2000. It remains the tenth-largest public school district in the state, serving roughly 67,315 students across 134 schools on an annual budget of more than $869 million, according to district data cited by Wikipedia.
As of Friday, Fort Worth Police say there is no active threat at Amon Carter-Riverside High School, though the investigation remains ongoing and the campus stays under secure status as a precaution. Anyone hiring-minded about joining the department's efforts can also reach its recruiting team by email at [email protected], though that contact is unrelated to the ongoing investigation.
