Officials with Scotland County Schools have released a statement after a threat at a middle school.
Scotland County Schools Public Information Officer Meredith Bounds released the following statement in an email to News13:
On Thursday afternoon, January 24, two students at Carver Middle School reported to school administration that they had seen on Instagram, other students making threats against students and staff at the school. Following policy and protocol, school administration immediately reported it to district administration and to law enforcement. Once reports such as these are turned over to law enforcement, they are in charge of the investigation. Detectives from the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department asked school officials not to release any information to the public about the incident while the investigation was on-going and until otherwise instructed. It was quickly determined that there was no immediate threat to students and staff, so as not to hamper the ongoing investigation, Scotland County Schools complied with law enforcement’s request and refrained from making any public comment. Any threats of violence against our schools are a serious matter and are subject to disciplinary actions as well as potential criminal charges.
Our best safety measure is always if someone ‘sees something, say something’. We applaud the students who came forward to report the situation. This is an opportune time to discuss this situation with your children and emphasize that there are severe consequences of such actions, even if the threat is made in jest. Please remind your children about the importance of reporting any suspicious or potentially threatening activity to an adult as soon as possible.
The safety of our students and staff is and will remain of paramount importance. This day and time, we cannot be too careful. We must take even the smallest threat seriously, and we must have the proper authorities investigate every incident. We will continue to work together with law enforcement to investigate this and any other threat against our schools, students, or staff.
Bounds also told News13 there will be an informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Carver Middle School about the recent threat.
Parents have received an automated call to inform them of the meeting, Bounds also said.
Investigators previously said students identified a teacher and other students as targets in a threat at Carver Middle School.
A sworn affidavit has been written up by law enforcement alleging the minor students committed the Class H felony of communicating a threat of mass violence on education property, according to Lt. Jessica Sadonikov, with the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office. A judge was petitioned by law enforcement to go pick them up and take the juveniles into custody.
Lt. Sadonikov confirmed to News13 that three kids were involved and a fourth student may have been involved.
The accused students allegedly named a teacher and several individual students specifically as targets in an attack at Carver Middle School, Lt. Sadonikov also said. They allegedly alluded to reenacting a Columbine scenario. The conversations were reported by a faculty member who found the online posts last week. The affidavit was reportedly written up on Friday.
