Ark Valley News - Student arrested following threat

Student arrested following threat
By Matt Heilman
Last Updated: November 06, 2014

District says threat was directed toward staff

A Valley Center High School student was taken into custody after reportedly threatening violence against staff members at the school last week. The nature of the threat and the identity of the student arrested were yet to be released as of press time.

An Oct. 31 news release from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office said at about 11 p.m. Oct. 30, the office "received information regarding a potential threat to the staff and student body of the Valley Center High School."

"Investigators were immediately contacted to further investigate the validity of the threat," the sheriff's office said. "Subsequently, an 18-year-old student at Valley Center High School was arrested and booked for criminal threats, but has not been formally charged."

Valley Center school district Superintendent Cory Gibson said the information he received indicated the threat was only made to staff members at the high school and not to any students.

Since no formal charges had been filed, the sheriff's office did not identify the arrested student in the release. A search of Sedgwick County Jail records shows that 18-year-old Jonathan Tyler Burks was booked into jail at 6:55 a.m. Oct. 31 on a charge of criminal threat.

Records show the arrest was made at the sheriff's office.

"The sheriff's office worked closely with high school staff and the Valley Center Police Department," the Oct. 31 news release said. "Any threat is taken seriously and will be investigated thoroughly. We are thankful that we have a close partnership with our community where our citizens feel they can contact us immediately with information about potential criminal activity."

Gibson said the sheriff's office contacted VCHS Assistant Principal Greg Mittman just after midnight Oct. 31 to alert him of the threat. Mittman contacted VCHS Principal Jaime Lewis, who then called Gibson.

Gibson said he met with Mittman, Lewis, Assistant Superintendent Mike Bonner and sheriff's deputies at about 6:15 a.m. Oct. 31 to "come up with (a) plan" following the threat. Gibson said he couldn't identify the student arrested for making the threat, the nature of the threat nor potential victims of the threat until formal charges were presented by the sheriff's office.

An Oct. 30 sheriff's report made between 10 and 11 p.m. at the Valley Center Police Station lists Lewis as a "victim of criminal threat." It's unknown if Lewis was listed as a victim because he was a potential target of a threat or because he was the first to report the threat to authorities.

Shortly after 7 a.m. Oct. 31, Gibson sent out an email message to parents and staff members in the district addressing the threat.