SC girl, 15, arrested after threatening phone call made to Chester high school
A teenage girl from South Carolina was arrested after a phone threat to a high school in Chester County caused the campus to be put on a secure hold Wednesday afternoon, according to South Carolina deputies and school officials.
Chester County Sheriff’s Office deputies and State Law Enforcement Division agents arrested the 15-year-old in Columbia hours after the threat, deputies said.
Her identity was not released because of her age.
She is charged as a juvenile with communicating threats, student threats, and breach of peace, the sheriff’s office said.
The girl is in custody at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, pending a Family Court hearing.
Threat prompts police presence at school
Chester County is a mainly rural county of around 32,000 people, south of Rock Hill and about 40 miles north of Columbia.
Officials have not released the specifics of the threatening phone call, or if the suspect has any connection to Chester High School.
The call was made to the front office at the school, according to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and Chester County School District. The district then put the school on what officials said was a “secure hold.”
A secure hold means no one can enter or exit the building while law enforcement investigates.
Deputies checked the perimeter of the school and found it to be clear, a statement from the sheriff’s office said. Additional deputies patrolled the campus and areas near the school.
Chester High, located off the J.A. Cochran Bypass in Chester, is one of three high schools in the district.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 3:42 PM.
