Robbinsville – Local parents, faculty and students alike were once again on-edge this week, after word broke that an adolescent had spoken to someone about potentially bringing gun violence into Robbinsville Middle School.
A pair of screenshots began to make the rounds on social media Tuesday morning, showing a Snapchat conversation that discussed the possibility of a shooting. The individuals will not be identified as part of this report, but the back-and-forth showed one student broaching the topic with the other after hearing a purported rumor about a shooting.
“I heard you was (sic) gonna shot (sic) up the school tomorrow,” the one student propositioned.
“I can’t go to school until after December,” was the reply.
The student that initiated the conversation then pleaded with the other to admit whether or not the rumor was true. Slowly, the other student began to change their tune from “ok no” to “maybe will,” then later stating, “I will do it if people don’t leave me alone.”
Graham County Schools released a statement Tuesday morning about the incident, noting that the district first learned about the conversation Monday and immediately launched an investigation through its Behavior Threat Assessment Team.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office was contacted shortly thereafter, according to the release.
“The situation has been resolved, and there is no ongoing threat to any Graham County Schools campus,” reads a portion of the statement. “We urge parents to have meaningful discussions with their children about the serious, long-term consequences of making inappropriate comments or threats against schools.
“Graham County Schools has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior and will take disciplinary action to the fullest extent, referring incidents to law enforcement for criminal charges when necessary. We will leverage every available resource, including local, state, and federal law enforcement.”
Campuses nationwide are understandably nervous since a 14-year-old suspect shot and killed four individuals (two students and two teachers) at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4.
The posts on social media regarding local students also came just 11 days after another Snapchat post included “Graham” as a potential target for a mass school shooting. Law enforcement and school personnel alike both acted swiftly to delve into the matter, which turned out to be a hoax – but the “Graham” mentioned was for the municipality in Alamance County. Monday’s post obviously hit closer to home – and parents said they were not informed of this threat by Graham County Schools. Meanwhile, the Sept. 12 post led to an early dismissal of students the following day by the district. Those who left early were credited with an excused absence.
The statement from the school system did not address the lack of communication, but did include one further safety detail that was first projected after the Sept. 12 scare.
“If you have any information about inappropriate comments or potential threats, please report them to local law enforcement and Graham County Schools immediately,” the statement said. “Sharing unverified social media messages only spreads panic and hinders crucial investigation.”
By Wednesday’s press deadline, no statement had been issued by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office regarding the matter.