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Charges pending for Virginia Beach student who made social media threat

Posted at 9:53 AM, Feb 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-21 09:53:50-05

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Charges are pending for a student who made threats targeting Kempsville Middle School, according to the school’s principal.

KMS Principal David Portis said a post on social media referenced violence against the school. The student who made the post was immediately identified.

The principal sent a voice message alerting parents of the incident:

Good morning, parents. This is Mr. Portis, acting principal of Kempsville Middle School. Overnight, we were made aware of a post on social media referencing violence against our school. The student who made the post was immediately identified and charges are pending. In addition, appropriate disciplinary action is being taken here at school. Please remind your child that anyone who makes a threat – even as a joke – faces very real consequences. Additionally, I ask that you take a moment to reinforce with your children that we all have a role in keeping our school safe. If they hear something, they should say something to a teacher, administrator or other adult. I would like to thank the person who came forward last night and the police who took immediate action. Finally, thank you for your continued support of Kempsville Middle School.

Virginia Beach police told News 3 the student was quickly identified, taken into custody and questioned. The incident was thoroughly investigated and the case will be screened with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to determine if charges will be filed.