LAUREN LIPPERT//SAVANAH HOWARD

Through recent events, two sixteen-year-old female students that allegedly plotted to commit first-degree murder against classmates at Mountain Vista High School have been taken into custody.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) says authorities were made aware of these threats on Saturday, Dec. 12, but information wasn’t released to the public until Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Officials were made aware of the threat through “Text-A-Tip,” a texting hotline where students can anonymously express their concerns to deputies. The DCSO says the case remains open and is still under investigation.

“At this time we believe the situation has been contained and the threat disrupted,” Sgt. Lori Bronner, who spoke for the sheriff’s office, said.

According to the DCSO, the two students face felony charges including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Senior Mountain Vista Media editor Amy Huang reacts to the incident, “I’m just very glad they were taken into custody and nothing happened.”

Hit with big news, the entire student body responded on Twitter expressing how thankful they are for each other and how the snow day was a miracle. With the hashtag “SoarAboveTheRest,” the entire community came together to show their love and support for Vista.

“We are all a family and we will remain together as one no matter what. I love you and appreciate you, Vista family,” sophomore Ivan de la Garza tweeted to the student body.

Shocked and scared would be an understatement of how to describe students’ feelings today.

“It’s scary because you never think it would happen to you,” senior Jess Gonzales said. “If they hadn’t caught the girls who were planning to do this, I might not have seen some of the people I love ever again.”

An email was sent out to parents throughout Douglas County briefly explaining how all schools in the Douglas County area affected by the murder attempt.

“Due to the nature and gravity of this particular situation, we felt it important to share these recent events with all of Douglas County School District families to reiterate and emphasize the importance of our partnership in keeping all DCSD students and staff safe,” the email explained.  

Many students from other schools in the DCSD area have reached out to students to help show their support.

“I was glad to see that even students from different schools were showing support for us, even previous students that attended Vista,” Gonzales said.

Alexandra Kinder, a student from Valor Christian High School, was one of many who expressed support. Because she attended Mountain Ridge Middle School and has a younger sibling in the Mountain Vista feeder area, she knows many students at Vista.

“It’s horrifying,” Kinder said. “I think this shook everyone and made them realize that this is the reality we’re having to deal with. This wasn’t just something on the news in a different state. This is down the street from my school and it’s mind blowing to think that this is something that can happen,” she continued. “They caught them this time, thank God, but it makes you more wide-eyed and aware of your surroundings because this could happen anywhere.”