CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The person who made a social media threat against a Matthews high school Monday night has been found, according to school administrators.
A message sent to parents at Butler High School said that there would be an increased presence of law enforcement on campus on Tuesday:
"Good evening Butler High School families. This is Principal Blakeney, my apologies for the late message. Tonight, we received a social media threat. Law enforcement is investigating. Out of an abundance of caution, the police presence on campus will be increased tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24. We understand your concerns and want you to know that we are actively working to keep students and staff safe.
Any reports of threats or perceived threats are taken very seriously and are a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Students in violation will be disciplined accordingly. Persons who make threats and who are not students may face arrest and prosecution under the law. If you or your child are aware of any threats, you are encouraged to report the threats to authorities, tell a trusted adult, or report it on the Say Something app.
We ask that you continue to partner with us in creating a safe learning environment for all students by reinforcing the seriousness of this situation with your child(ren). As always, the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority.
Thank you for your continued support of Butler High School."
In a statement released on Tuesday, Butler High School administrators said the person responsible stated the threat was just a prank and that the threat was not credible.
The Matthews Police Department later confirmed the person who allegedly made the threat was a current student. The student is now facing charges as a juvenile. The department said no evidence indicated the student actually planned or was capable of carrying out the threat.
“We want to be very clear about this issue of posting or calling in threats of violence to our schools, which seems to be growing in popularity. Anytime we receive information of a threat it will be thoroughly investigated along with any needed response implemented to continue to provide a safe environment for our students and educators. We will also utilize all available resources to hold any and everyone involved fully responsible for such a threat. Parents, if you haven’t already, please talk to your students about the importance of not engaging in this type of behavior as it could have significant consequences for them and their future,” said Chief Roy Sisk in a statement.