15-year-old charged after online threats made against South View middle, high schools

A 15-year-old South View High School student has been charged after threats against the school and South View Middle School were posted online this week, authorities said Thursday.

Posted 2:36 p.m. Oct 29, 2019 — Updated 9:22 p.m. Oct 31, 2019

Jessica Patrick

, WRAL digital journalist

HOPE MILLS, N.C. — A 15-year-old South View High School student has been charged after threats against the school and South View Middle School were posted online this week, authorities said Thursday.

Both of the schools in Hope Mills were locked down Wednesday while authorities investigate the threats.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office confirmed that an Instagram post posted Monday night featuring a gun on a red background is the threat they are investigating. The misspelled post reads," I. Hate southview scool I will use ths to kill all the techers this week."

The Instagram account was closed when investigators looked into it, but they obtained subscriber information linking it to the 15-year-old, authorities said.

The teen, whose name hasn't been released was charged as a juvenile with making threats of mass violence.

Parents of students received an automated call to make them aware about the threats to the school. The schools were placed on a Code Yellow lockdown, which means means the exterior doors were locked, but students change classes and go to lunch as usual, according to Cumberland County Schools spokesman Lindsay Whitley.

Whitley said the district was taking every precaution to make sure students are safe.

Deputies were also on site at South View High on Tuesday.

"We have notified law enforcement, and they have begun their investigation," a statement from the school read. "We take this matter very seriously. As a precaution, additional law enforcement personnel are at the school today."

The school's principal sent a telephone message to parents Tuesday to make them aware of the situation.

Suggest A Correction