$1K reward offered: Extra police at Fort Mill area schools after written threats
Police have extra officers at Fort Mill school campuses after written threats were found late last week in a boys bathroom at one of the district’s high schools, officials said.
The threats prompted Fort Mill school district to offer a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
The written threats were reported to administrators and police Thursday and Friday at Fort Mill High School, officials said.
The threats came a week after guns were found on three successive days at neighboring Rock Hill schools.
Fort Mill Police Department Chief Bryan Zachary told The Herald additional officers from the department were at schools Friday and again Monday.
Detectives worked through the weekend after the threats were found, Zachary said. No arrests have been made.
“This is our number one priority right now,” Zachary said. “We have zero tolerance for threats at school.”
The exact language of the threats was not released.
Zachary said pictures of the threats of violence were circulated on social media.
Fort Mill High was the only school involved but Zachary said other campuses would have additional officers.
Three schools that are inside the city limits of Tega Cay also had extra Tega Cay Police Department officers, said Tega Cay police Capt. James Patterson.
The Fort Mill school district is the largest in York County with around 18,000 students. The district has three high schools.
$1,000 reward offered
The Fort Mill school district on Monday confirmed it is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
The district said in a statement anyone with information can contact the school resource officer at 803-548-2051, school staff at 803-548-1900, or use the tip line on the school and district websites, https://www.fortmillschools.org/tipline.
In a message to parents Sunday night, Fort Mill High principal Zachary Beam confirmed school officials and police are continuing the investigation.
Officials said the school has surveillance cameras but the interior of bathrooms do not have cameras.
“We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to identify those responsible,” Beam told parents.
Beam said in the statement to parents that more security measures would continue.
“We will have increased security measures in place on campus,” Beam’s statement to parents said. “Some of those measures include: increased district staff and security presence on campus, extra patrols by law enforcement through out the day, and adjustments to the daily schedule to reduce class transitions.”
The message to parents was the third since the threats were found.
Beam and Zachary each said the person or persons responsible for the threats will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
School safety concerns in York County
The seizure of three weapons in Rock Hill in late August and the arrest of three juveniles prompted safety concerns from parents and the public.
Two guns were found at high schools in Rock Hill, and one at a Rock Hill middle school.
Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said in court last week that school guns, violence and threats are being taken seriously by his office and cases will be vigorously prosecuted -- even if the perpetrators are juveniles.
A school safety forum with school officials, law enforcement and prosecutors, is set for Monday at 5 p.m. at the Rock Hill school district office.
Visit heraldonline.com for coverage of the forum.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 11:55 AM.
