RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Department has made an arrest in connection with a high school threat - the second such arrest this week related to recent threats in Richland County.
According to a statement from Sheriff Leon Lott, a 14-year-old student is facing charges of aggravated breach of peace and unlawful communication in relation to an incident that happened on Monday.
The sheriff's department said that on Tuesday around 10:15 a.m., administrators at W.J. Keenan High School said they received a call from someone claiming there would be a shooting on the school's campus.
Investigators found no credibility to the threat but soon began investigating where it came from which eventually led to the arrest of the 14-year-old suspect who is now being held at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
Sheriff Lott said his department is taking these crimes seriously and reiterated that students will be sent to jail for these crimes.
"Hoax calls and social media posts will not be tolerated by the district or law enforcement, and students who are found to be responsible will face consequences for their actions," Lott added.
This is the second arrest this week of a Richland School District One student in relation to a threat. The sheriff's department announced on Tuesday that a 16-year-old had been arrested regarding a hoax threat made against Lower Richland High School on Monday.
That student is charged with the unlawful use of 911, aggravated breach of peace, and unlawful communication.
The arrests also follow dozens of false school shooting reports across South Carolina that began last Wednesday which appeared to have started as a challenge on the social media app TikTok.
Students must accept and recognize the important role they play in helping to keep our campuses safe. We will continue to stress that to our students and parents,” Lott said regarding the recent incidents, adding that parents should speak to their kids about the severity of these crimes.