AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF News) – As the school year ramps up for students across the Metroplex, the Texas Department of Public Safety is reminding parents and students to download the i-WatchTexas app to report possible school threats.
Governor Greg Abbott announced the launch of the new app as part of this school safety plan after the Santa Fe High School shooting in May.
10 people were killed and more than a dozen wounded when 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis allegedly stormed into the high school, pulled the fire alarm and started shooting.
Investigators said Pagourtzis’ social media footprint included a photo of a black t-shirt that had the words “Born to Kill” on the front.
Abbott said threats to school safety are often seen but not reported.
“You know it seems after every one of these mass shootings… there were advanced warning signs on social media,” he said.
Abbott said giving the public an easy way to report warning signs could save lives.
Last year, there was a significant rise in students arrests based on threats made on social media.
“We want to be able to view and aggregate those warning signs and use those warnings to disrupt the threat before it causes harm,” said Abbott.
The app is free and available for I-Phone users on the Apple App Store and for Android users on Google Play.
Click here for more information.
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