St. Mary’s high school in Phoenix cancels classes due to alleged threat

PHOENIX — A Catholic high school in Phoenix cancelled classes on Thursday after officials discovered an alleged threat made against one of the students.

In a statement, Robert DeFrancesco, a spokesman for The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, said school officials at St. Mary’s Catholic High School were first made aware of an on-campus incident that occurred between two students on Wednesday.

DeFrancesco did not elaborate on the threat, only saying that it was allegedly “made against one of the students.”

School officials contacted law enforcement, according to DeFrancesco, which determined the threat to not be credible and at no point were students in danger.

However, many students learned of the alleged threat and did not attend school on Thursday, leading school officials to cancel class for the rest of the day.

“We will continue taking the situation seriously,” DeFrancesco said. “Any threat of violence or physical harm is unacceptable, and we want to reassure our families that the safety of their children is our priority.”

This incident is the latest in a series of threats of violence made against an Arizona school in the days since 17 people were shot and killed at a Florida high school.

At least three students across Arizona have been arrested for having a firearm in their possession on campus and officials at three more high schools have investigated incidents regarding threats made against the school.

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