A false report of a potential school shooting may result in real trouble for two Whiteville High students.
The sheriff’s office said an anonymous tip submitted via the “Say Something” app claimed that a student had an “AR-15” rifle and was planning a mass shooting at Whiteville High School on Monday.
Columbus County 911 immediately alerted School Resource Officer R. Fowler, who found both the alleged suspect and the student who made the tip in the school gym. Multiple deputies and supervisors responded to the scene.
Both students were detained and searched for weapons, the report said, but no weapons were found. Neither was named, since they are both juveniles, but they were described as white males ages 14 and 15.
“Upon further investigation and interviews conducted with both students and their parents,” the report said, “it was determined that the threat had been submitted as a prank within a group chat. One of the students admitted to sending the report as a joke, claiming it was submitted accidentally. The other student had knowledge of the prank but failed to report it.”
Both students were suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, the report said. The Department of Juvenile Justice was also contacted to determine if a petition would be sought against one of both of the students.
“There is no ongoing threat to students or staff at Whiteville High School,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats of violence seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment.”
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