A Mississippi school district was on heightened alert Friday after rumors circulated on social media of a gang threat against a school.

All Brookhaven School District campuses have increased law enforcement presence today, following an apparent threat.

“Some kid made a threat on Instagram to one of the schools. We take all threats seriously,” said Brookhaven Police Chief Kenneth Collins. “We are working with the Sheriff’s Office and Civil Defense — all law enforcement agencies are working together to keep our schools safe.”

At approximately 7:30 a.m., the district’s Facebook page posted the following:

“The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. We will have an increased law enforcement presence on all campuses today. We will continue to be vigilant about campus security.”

Rumors circulated on social media Thursday evening that members of a local gang had threatened retaliation for a recent off-campus shooting.

The police chief expressed his thanks to Sheriff Steve Rushing and his deputies, as well as Civil Defense Director Chris Reid, for their assistance.

Collins said he could not say if authorities believe the threats were connected to the shooting death of a Brookhaven woman earlier this week.

“We can’t comment on a lot of things we might already know, especially if it’s an active investigation,” he said.

“Parents can rest assured we are doing all we can to keep these kids safe,” Collins said.