Sheriff's Office Investigates School Threats

Investigators determined threats made against Stephens County Middle School over the weekend were a hoax.Photo byStephens County Middle School/Facebook

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office says it is investigating threats made against the county’s middle school over the weekend.

A release from the sheriff’s office says the threats were first made on March 22-24. They were pre-recorded phone calls to several students detailing threats on school grounds. Deputies, investigators, and school resource officers promptly initiated an investigation and checked school facilities. They determined the calls were a prank, and the school was found to be secure.

On March 25, the sheriff’s office says that further threats related to the original hoax came to light. Then, on March 26, rumors of threats resurfaced on social media in a group text, and the sheriff’s office says it traced those threats back to the original incident.

“The safety of the students and staff are paramount, and we take all threats seriously,” Sheriff Randy Shirley said in the release.

The sheriff’s office denounced the dissemination of “dramatic and potentially harmful information” through social media platforms.

“Such actions only serve to incite panic and jeopardize the safety of our community. As we have seen recently, the spread of unfound malicious information could result in actions taken by the school and/or possible criminal charges,” Sheriff Shirley cautions.

The sheriff’s office urges parents and students to report suspicious activity promptly and directly to local law enforcement.