'We are going to find you.' Police hope release of threatening, profanity-filled voicemail leads to culprit

MCS Chief of Police Arthur Frye said Monday that there is increasing uneasiness about security at the county's school board meetings and at similar meetings across the state and country.

"While the large majority of citizens are peaceful and orderly at public meetings, law enforcement remains concerned that it only takes one person carrying matters too far to result in tragedy," Frye said.

In the voicemail left on Sept. 7, the woman denounces the school system's mask mandate.

She asks, "I want to know why the [expletive] you think you can [expletive] intimidate parents over a mask mandate?"

WRAL News edited the original voicemail to mute where the caller used profane language.

"I understand her frustration and we all get frustrated, but by the way, we all must do things the proper way," said board member Robert Levy.

The woman then says, "We are going to [expletive] come for you."

Frye said the voicemail was reported to law enforcement on Friday, Sept. 10.

"In times such as these, we cannot afford to ignore threatening messages like this and hope for the best," said Frye. "It is the duty of law enforcement to take these matters seriously and investigate fully to determine if a crime has been planned or committed and to look out for the safety of school system leaders and the public."

Moore County Board of Education votes to continue mask mandate

The woman then threatens in the voicemail to "keep pushing this agenda and see what happens."

"We are going to have your [expletive]," the woman says. "We are going to find you; we are going to find your houses; everything ... play with us [expletive] you [expletive]. We're coming after you and we're not going to place nice you [explicative.]

Officials recommended that anyone who wanted to make a public comment would have to walk through a metal detector.

Threat over mask mandate prompts Moore County school board to reschedule meeting

As a result of the threat, the board meeting was moved to the district's central office, where there was a heightened police presence. A group of parents associated with Moore Families for Quality Education gathered outside to protest the district's mask mandate at around 4 p.m.

The board decided during a closed session meeting at 4 p.m. that they did not give the public valid notice of the location change, and due to that technicality, they rescheduled the meeting, according to Levy.

On Monday, Frye said Moore County Schools police also stopped a person in July from carrying a knife into a school board meeting. Then, a search of the person's car found a loaded gun had been brought onto school property.

Anyone with information on the threats is asked to call Frye at 910-986-9747 or MCS Police Captain Rodney Hardy at 910-986-0949.