Photo: Pottawattamie County Jail
(Council Bluffs, IA) -- A Council Bluffs, Iowa teacher is behind bars, accused of making terrorist threats.
The Council Bluffs Police Department says Wednesday morning, Council Bluffs Public School District employee, 37 year old Katrina Phelan, turned herself in to the Pottawattamie County Jail for an arrest warrant. Phelan is facing three counts of Threats of Terrorism. Each count is a Class D Felony, punishable by up to 5 years of prison.
Council Bluffs police say detectives conducted an investigation into a series of anonymous handwritten notes found inside the school, all making reference to committing gun violence upon school property. Investigators say each of the notes were reportedly either found in Phelan’s classroom or found by Phelan herself, in various locations within the school. CBPD says while the investigation was taking place, the school district worked with them to increase the security presence inside the building.
Police say when interviewed, Phelan admitted to writing the notes. Investigators say it was determined that she had no intentions or means of carrying out these threats. In at least one of the notes, Phelan, posing as an unnamed student, wrote that she was tired of being made fun of.