FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth Police Department says a threatening video circulating on social media that prompted heightened security across the city is now believed to be not credible, according to an update released Tuesday afternoon.
Police first became aware of the video around 7:30 a.m. on January 6. The video contained threats aimed at the general public in Fort Worth, triggering an immediate and wide-ranging response from the department.
The FWPD Intelligence Exchange Section, known as INTEX, worked throughout the day alongside local, state, and national law enforcement partners to evaluate the threat and identify its origin. As a precaution, officers increased monitoring of public spaces and schools citywide and activated an internal safety plan.
By Tuesday afternoon, investigators determined there was strong reason to believe the video originated outside of the United States and was intended to incite fear rather than represent a real threat. Police also confirmed that a neighboring law enforcement agency received a similar message earlier the same day.
Despite the assessment, Fort Worth police say they will continue enhanced safety measures out of an abundance of caution. Those steps include closer coordination between school resource officers and local school districts, increased patrol staffing in every division, rapid deployment readiness for specialized units, and the use of real-time technology to monitor public areas.
FWPD officials emphasized that public safety remains their top priority and said they will provide additional updates if new information emerges.
