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Charges pending against Virginia Beach high school student who made verbal threat

Posted at 10:25 PM, Oct 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-23 22:25:45-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Landstown High student made a verbal threat against the school Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson with Virginia Beach City Public Schools has confirmed.

Landstown High School

Landstown High Principal Dr. Cheryl C. Askew said the student has been identified. Safe Schools and Virginia Beach Police are investigating the incident, and charges against the student are pending.

Dr. Askew said while the school and students are safe, she is encouraging parents to talk to their children about the role they play in school safety, including reporting hearing anything concerning and not perpetuating rumors through social media or gossip. She is also asking parents to remind students that making any type of threat is unacceptable and “will lead to real consequences.”

Related: Virginia Beach student’s ‘inappropriate’ web searches on school-issued computer prompts investigation

The following message was sent to Landstown families and staff:

Good evening, Landstown families. This is Principal Askew with an important message. I am calling to let you know that we had a student make verbal threats against our school this afternoon. The student has been identified. Safe Schools and the Virginia Beach Police Department are investigating and charges are pending. Our school and students are safe. Of course just hearing such language can be upsetting to our students, so I ask you talk with your child about the role they play in school safety. If they hear something concerning they should report it immediately to police or an adult and not perpetuate the rumor through social media or gossip. This will allow the school and police to respond more efficiently to safety concerns. I also ask that you remind your children that threats of any kind are not acceptable and will lead to real consequences. Your child’s safety is our highest priority and we take these matters very seriously. Thank you for your understanding and support. I look forward to seeing your child in school tomorrow.

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