Threat at Apex Friendship High School distracts from school day
Extra security guards were present and schedules were modified Tuesday at Apex Friendship High School after posts on social media threatened a shooting.
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According to a spokesperson with Wake County Public Schools, all students were safe and the school day finished without incident.
A photo sent to WRAL News showed a threatening message on the bathroom wall at Apex Friendship High School warning students about a possible shooting on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
There was no lockdown or evacuation, but a viewer told WRAL News multiple Apex students already left school for the day as a result.
Although the threat was determined to be not credible, Apex Friendship parents and students didn't want to take any chances. Parents and students lined up outside the school Tuesday afternoon told WRAL News they felt it is better to be safe than sorry.
"My mom tried calling [the school] to see if I could leave class early, but all of the telephone lines were backed up," said Libby Shott, a student.
The hoax interrupted the school day as parents frantically tried to pick up their kids.
"If anything did happen, I'd much rather be safe than sorry," Shott added.
The school adjusted lunch schedules but did not evacuate the students or lockdown the school.
"I dropped everything trying to figure out what was going on," said Erin Joy, whose child attends a nearby school.
The threat to Apex Friendship spread on social media, causing worry for parents like Joy even though her son attends a different school.
The district said no other schools received threats, but a "copycat" threat circulated among students across the school system.
"It's definitely really scary that [threats] are becoming more common," Shott said. "That's the only reason I'm leaving -- just in case, not that I actually think something would happen."
The district is encouraging parents to talk to their kids about reporting threats. The person responsible for such threats could face criminal charges and suspension from school.
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