White Knoll High School receives threat, deemed unlikely to be credible

Posted 4/11/23

White Knoll High School responded April 11 to a threat received through a law enforcement tip line.

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White Knoll High School receives threat, deemed unlikely to be credible

Posted

White Knoll High School responded April 11 to a threat received through a law enforcement tip line.

According to a message shared with parents by Nicholas Pearson, the school’s principal, the threat was reported through the Crimestoppers tip line in the morning. White Knoll continued the school day with normal operations.

“Law enforcement believes there is a low probability that this threat is credible,” he writes. “Together with law enforcement, school and district administrators conducted a search of the building and are taking the necessary precautions.”

Capt. Adam Myrick, public information officer for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, confirmed that the department worked with the school and Lexington County School District 1 to sweep the building. Nothing was found during the search, and that work on the case continues.

This isn’t the first time in 2023 that the school has responded to a threat. The school received threats Feb. 6 and 7, the same week that a Columbia 15-year-old was arrested for a rash of school threats affecting both Lexington and Richland County.

“We are committed to investigating all threats thoroughly, while understanding how stressful this is on our students and staff members,” Pearson writes. “We are doing everything we can to limit the disruption to our students and employees while balancing the need to monitor our building.”

In a statement, the district emphasized that there are severe consequences for communicating threats against a school.

"In the past few months, multiple students, including some in Lexington One, have faced serious criminal charges as well as recommendations for expulsion from school," Lexington 1 said. "We all have important roles to play in keeping our schools safe including reminding our students that a social media post/message or text message is not worth these life-altering consequences.

"When it comes to school safety, Lexington 1 district and school leaders are on constant alert, we're doing everything proactively that experts believe will make a difference including working closely with law enforcement, and we're dealing aggressively with those responsible to the fullest extent of the law, regulations and policy."

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

white knoll high, lexington county school threat, sheriff's department response

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