Rock Hill school child sent gun picture, threatened student and mother, police say
A middle school child in Rock Hill used Instagram to send a picture of a gun to threaten another student and the fellow student’s mother, police said.
The suspect, 13, is a student at Saluda Trail Middle School, said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department. The victim is also a student at the school, Chavis said.
The suspect was charged as a juvenile with student threats to inflict bodily injury and will be prosecuted in South Carolina Family Court, Chavis said.
South Carolina law states, “It is unlawful for a student of a school or college in this State to make threats to take the life of or to inflict bodily harm upon another by using any form of communication whatsoever.”
Officers made the decision to charge the student because the threats were made by social media toward both another child, and the victim’s mom, Chavis said.
Another student’s mother contacted school administrators Wednesday about concerns to her son’s safety after her son received a picture of a weapon over the Instagram social media platform, police said in an incident report.
School officials then contacted Rock Hill police.
The Instagram message stated the suspect was going to “put it together” when the photograph of the gun was sent, police said. The suspect threatened to go to the student’s house and assault both him and the student’s mother, police said.
A school resource officer searched the suspect at school Wednesday and found no weapons, police said.
Several area police agencies have made arrests or increased officer presence at campuses in York County after threats were made over social media.
The identity of the suspect was not released because of his age.
Rock Hill school district spokesman Mychal Frost said the student accused of making the threats has been disciplined according to district policy.
“It is never a joking matter to communicate a threat,” Frost said. “If it is said or written, there are serious consequences from law enforcement and the school.”
