Metro Atlanta school districts continue to deal with violent threats more than a week after a 14-year-old student allegedly gunned down two fellow classmates and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder.
More than three dozen arrests have been made in several Georgia counties, and students have been charged with making terroristic threats. If convicted of felony charges, the students could face fines, jail time and disciplinary action from their schools.
Atlanta Public Schools, which has its own police force, increased security on some school campuses Thursday, due to threats made on social media. APS Police Chief Ronald Applin said the district has to take them all seriously, though most do not turn out to be credible.
”We don’t take any chances,” Applin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “A lot of (the threats) have been messages that have been repeated. They’re copycats.”
Applin said he has seven officers working on threats full time. He has dispatched some of them to suspects’ homes to investigate.
“It’s expending a lot of resources and a lot of time, but we understand the importance of making sure that we do as much as we can to try to make sure our kids are safe,” he said.
A 14-year-old student and his father have been arrested and charged in the Apalachee High case.
Clayton County Superintendent Anthony W. Smith posted a video Thursday on YouTube in which he said the school system has seen several violent threats circulating on social media.
”Making threats — even as a prank — has severe consequences,” Smith said. “Creating or sharing threatening content online not only disrupts our school environment, but also leads to significant legal consequences, including suspensions, expulsions and potential criminal charges.”
Investigators warn that threatening school safety is never a joke. The threats also create additional work for officers and emotional distress for those in schools.
“This is not as simple as pulling a fire extinguisher handle and pulling an alarm inside a school,” Officer Chuck McPhilamy with Marietta police, told the AJC this week. “You have diverted all of the resources to that one location, leaving the rest of the community more vulnerable.”
It’s not only students accused of making threats. The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that a father and son employed at Edwards Middle School were arrested after allegedly having weapons and making threats.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Paul Schwartz, 63, an employee at the school, was in possession of two razor blade knives, according to investigators. He was charged with two counts of bringing a weapon onto school grounds. Paul Schwartz Jr., 21, a contracted staff member, was charged with making terroristic threats, the sheriff’s office said.
Officers have so far arrested persons allegedly making threats in DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton and Hall counties, police said. Other law enforcement agencies throughout North Georgia have also investigated alleged threats and made arrests.
Smith ended his video message with a plea to parents.
”This is a serious situation that calls for everyone to take a hard look at our students and others that feel that sharing these social media messages is some sort of game,” he said. “Parents, please talk with your children before they have to talk to a judge.”
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
Anyone who hears or sees a threat against a school should immediately report it to local police or school leaders.
The GBI also has a “See Something, Send Something” mobile app, where tips are received and processed by the agency.
Tips can be submitted by mobile devices by downloading the See Send App for iPhone and Android devices from the Google Play or the Apple App Store.
