YORKTOWN — A 14-year-old female student was arrested Monday for making a social media threat at Tabb High School, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office announced.
According to the sheriff’s office, the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Tabb High School was made aware on Monday, Sept. 9, of a social media post a student had made on Sunday, Sept. 8 threatening to “shoot up the school.”
The SRO notified the school administration of the threat and the student was located at the school and interviewed, the sheriff’s office said. Following the interview, the SRO charged the student with threats of death or bodily injury to persons on school property, a felony.
An investigation by the sheriff’s office determined that the student did not have the means to carry out the threat, it said.
During the York County School Board meeting later that night, Superintendent Victor Shandor offered a statement on the incident:
“We are nine days into this school year and I want to take this opportunity to remind our students, staff, and families of the seriousness of such threats and our commitment to take each one of these seriously. Students who make such threats, whether as a prank, joke, or a momentary lapse in judgment are making poor decisions that can have lifelong consequences. These actions not only disrupt learning and create fear, but they also lead to severe disciplinary actions and even criminal charges. Parents and guardians, we need your help to prevent these situations. Please speak with your children about the seriousness of making threats or engaging in any unsafe behavior. Remind them that social media is a powerful tool and potentially dangerous tool, especially when used in moments of stress, anger, and other emotions. If you are not already monitoring their social media and text messaging, please do so regularly. We have a collective responsibility to keep our children safe.”
