A Lexington student has been charged with making social media threats directed at two county high schools.

On March 8, a 13-year old Lakeside Middle School student allegedly made threats against a student at River Bluff High School, leading to a charge of disturbing schools, according to a release from the Lexington Police Department.

The student has also been charged with the same offense  by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department for threatening Gilbert High School, per a release.

“School administration notified us about the threat after a student reported receiving a social media message threatening to ‘blow up’ GHS and River Bluff High School,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon is quoted. “We always take these threats seriously. Thanks to Lexington School District 1, Lexington Police Department and the student who reported the threat, together we were able to keep the students and community safe.”

According to Libby Roof, chief communications officer for Lexington School District 1, district safety and security officials were notified around 11 a.m. about threatening messages directed at River Bluff and Gilbert high schools.

Per Lexington Police, threats directed at a River Bluff student came through social media. This included the Lakeside student sending a threatening message to the River Bluff student that included a photo of what appeared to be him holding a handgun. The social media messages also threatened Gilbert High School, police say.

The department shared that a search was subsquently conducted looking for the Lakeside student, and he was found off campus. The item that appeared to be a handgun was discovered to be a pellet gun.

In response to the threats, the two high schools implemented secure safety responses. The district lifted its safety precautions after the Lakeside student was found, and both high schools resumed normal operations.

“We all have important roles to play in keeping our schools safe and it is imperative for students to understand the severe consequences of communicating any threat against a school,” the district said in a statement. “As we saw today and in other recent incidents, students who make threats face serious criminal charges. A social media post or text message is not worth these life-altering consequences.”

This threat follows a March 7 incident that saw River Bluff and White Knoll high schools placed on a hold safety response after being named in a threat that was communicated through another district's safety tip-line.

Students and employees remained in their classrooms and offices as law enforcement and school and district administrators searched the buildings. After the conclusion of the searches, both schools resumed normal operations.

“Lexington 1 administrators are extremely concerned and disappointed that systems put in place to help keep schools safe are being used to cause disruptions and to interfere with our ability to provide safe and nurturing environments for our students and employees.” the district said.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.