Wake County parents frustrated, frightened by threats disrupting school day

A rash of incidents bolstered security at several schools in North Carolina this week.

Posted 8:41 p.m. Feb 1, 2023 — Updated 9:32 p.m. Feb 1, 2023

Julian Grace

, WRAL anchor/reporter

WENDELL, N.C. — A rash of incidents bolstered security at several schools in Wake County Wednesday, prompting some parents to pull their children out of school.

In Wake County, Rolesville High School was placed on Code Red lockdown, meaning no one could leave or enter buildings on campus, on Wednesday before class was dismissed early.

Then there were threats at Zebulon Middle School that resulted in a police presence at the school on the same day. Four law enforcement vehicles were seen in front of the building.

Parents understandably wanted to know what's being done to address the threats and disruptions to the school day. More importantly, they wanted to know that their children were safe.

Parents told WRAL someone posted a threatening message on Instagram that said "Zebulon Middle is next," followed by a post showing a collection of guns and finally a post listing teachers the person is targeting.

A mother who wished to remain nameless said she pulled her child from school just to be safe.

“I want to make sure they catch the person," the mother said. "I don’t want to be worried about my child all day at school with police presence and extra security, it is hard for children to be there and not be scared.”

At Cardinal Charter School in Wendell, parents said a student brought a toy gun to school. A third grader typed a message to his mother saying "There’s a kid with a gun." The first paragraph read, "Hey mom this is not a joke. A kid brought a gun to school and the cops are here. They might shoot. I love you, mom."

One mother told WRAL News that's she's thankful that the gun wasn’t real. However, she said it has left her nervous to send her child back to school again.

A spokesperson for the agency representing the charter school released a statement on the matter.

"We are very proud of the students who brought concerns to our staff regarding a toy gun that was brought to campus today. While no students were ever in any danger, we would like to assure you that we take any behavior of this nature very seriously and will take all appropriate actions. Please remind your children that it is never appropriate to bring anything that resembles a weapon to school and encourage them to always bring any concerns to a trusted adult. Thank you for your continued support."

It's not known if the student will be disciplined.

On Tuesday, a 13-year-old was arrested for making threats of violence against multiple schools in Wayne County.

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