By Mondell Keck | The Brookings Register
VOLGA — An anonymous, threatening email sent to a staff member at the Sioux Valley School District in Volga on May 4 led to an increased presence of law enforcement personnel at the school on May 7.
While no credible threat to staff, students or the school has been identified, the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office is acting out of an abundance of caution, Assistant Sheriff Dave Bitler wrote in a May 7 news release.
“Investigators determined the email originated from an IP address associated with a Google account created in April 2026 in the Nashville area,” he wrote. “No additional traceable identifying information was obtained during the investigation.”
Per the sheriff’s office, the email contained the statement, “sh– is going to happen on May 7.”
When reached by The Brookings Register, Biteler said such incidents are uncommon in Brookings County.
“According to information shared among law enforcement agencies across the state and country, these types of anonymous threats are often random in nature and are sometimes referred to as ‘dart board threats,’ where an individual randomly selects a location, person, business, school, or community to target with a threatening message,” he explained. “Many of these threats are sent using anonymous online services or methods that make identifying the sender difficult.”
The school district has remained in communication with parents regarding the ongoing situation, Biteler wrote. He added that the sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate, and that more information will be released to the public if it becomes available.
“Always take threats like this seriously and notify the proper authorities so the incident can be investigated and the information obtained,” Biteler told the Register.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
Leave a Reply