MASON CITY – Mason City police said Sunday that they have arrested a woman in connection to a school threat.
On Saturday, November 5, 2022, the Mason City Community School District (MCCSD) reported email threats of violence that had been received during the overnight hours from an unidentified email account. We began an investigation into the source of the threats with support from our state and federal law enforcement partners.
By early evening, law enforcement was able to identify that the threats had originated from a local residence. A short time later, police were able to interview a suspect in the case. Based on the information learned during the interview, 18-year-old Destiny Kaduce of Mason City was arrested and charged with a class D felony for Threat of Terrorism. In addition, she was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana, a serious misdemeanor.
Because of the prompt reporting by the MCCSD, law enforcement officials were able to quickly follow-up on the information and identify the responsible party. Police say that it is important to note that neither students nor staff were in school buildings at the time of the threat and that there is no ongoing threat at this time. Chief Jeff Brinkely said, “we are grateful that the staff members who received these messages quickly forwarded them to senior leadership for review by law enforcement. The close working relationship between MCCSD and MCPD allowed this investigation to move quickly to insure the safety of MCCSD students, personnel, and facilities.
“We are working with MCCSD to provide for an enhanced police presence at the impacted facilities on Monday morning. We want to take this opportunity to remind our community to remain vigilant and report suspicious or unusual circumstances or behavior when you see them. It takes all of us working together to keep our community safe.”