EDENTON, N.C. - The superintendent of Edenton-Chowan Schools issued a statement after school officials and local law enforcement agencies received information Friday about a student reportedly going to "shoot up" a school in the district.
A parent called News 3 and said the threat was reportedly against John Holmes High School.
School officials confirmed to News 3 that the students involved were quickly identified and detained, and the threat was deemed not to be credible.
In an abundance of caution, backpacks were searched. No firearms were found to be on campus.
Due to heightened anxiety, school officials say the high school was dismissed in an orderly fashion and students safely returned to their homes.
News 3 spoke with Chief Henry King from the Edenton Police Department and he said everyone was safe. He said the sheriff's department, which is the agency overseeing the incident, and the school took the social media post seriously.
We also spoke to a parent who says there was a “heavy police presence” at the school. She says she “wasn’t notified immediately.”
After the incident, ECS Superintendent Dr. Michael Sasscer issued the following statement:
Hello,
I want to share with you the statement we have shared with media. There have been false reports shared, so please feel free to share this with your groups. There were no firearms on campus today and the threat was not credible. Thank you so much for your care and support!
Schools officials and law enforcement received a social media post mid-morning that reported a student was going to “shoot up” the school. Involved students were quickly identified, detained and questioned. The threat was deemed not to be credible. In an abundance of caution, book bags were searched. There were no firearms on campus. Due to heightened anxiety, the high school was dismissed in an orderly fashion. Students have safely returned to their homes.
