Scotland parents upset they weren't warned sooner about investigation into plan for Columbine-style attack

A statement from the sheriff's office Wednesday said two students told school staff that they believed the students would shoot people at the school Jan. 25.

A Carver Middle School employee alerted the school resource officer about suspicious posts on Instagram on Jan. 24.

Officials determined that six students, between the ages of 12 and 13, were discussing a Columbine-style attack in a manner that made investigators think they were serious, according to Capt. Jessica Sadovnikov.

A captain with the Scotland County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday night said the students face felony charges of communicating a threat of mass violence on school property.

"Throughout the course of the investigation, this was absolutely a serious matter. There is nothing to indicate this was a hoax or a joke," she said. "If this incident had not been reported, then it's very likely something could have ended up happening."

On Tuesday, Chief Deputy Lloyd Goins issued a statement saying the incident is under investigation.

"All precautions and safety measures have been taken to insure the safety of all the students and faculty of the Scotland County School System," he said.

Superintendent Ron Hargrave said he is proud of the students who spoke up and alerted the school.

"Because of that, because students were brave enough to come forward, our campus is safe," he said.

On Tuesday night, parents gathered at Carver Middle School, demanding answers from school leaders for nearly two hours. They packed the library, their hands popping in the air, their questions tinged with anger.

While the principal, superintendent and school resource officer stood at the front of the room, one mother wiped away tears as parents demanded to know why the school didn't notify them sooner.

"Please put something in writing or in some type of policy where the school system is allowed to inform the parents before news media puts it out, because that's what really upset me," parent Sonya Thomas said.

Hargrave said the sheriff's office initially requested that the school system not make any public announcement.

"They didn't want students erasing stuff that they were going to have the opportunity to confiscate and see what they were talking about," he said.

"And we removed the threat as immediately as anybody possibly could," Sheronica Smith, the school's resource officer, said.

However, in a statement Wednesday, the sheriff's office said in a statement that it "at no time instructed any staff or member of the school board or school to refrain from informing parents or family and at no time instructed the school to stop or prevent the staff members from taking further action."

Authorities said the students have been removed. Sadovnikov said she is seeking to have all of the students put in a juvenile jail.

In Wednesday's statement, the sheriff's office said a student, who was not involved in planning the shooting, allegedly tried to physically assault the two students who first told school staff about the possible attack. That student will be charged with communicating threats upon students.