JAMES CITY COUNTY — After an investigation, a social media threat targeting Hornsby Middle School on Thursday was determined not to be credible, according to the James City County Police Department.
According to police, on the afternoon of Sept. 19, the department was alerted to a social media threat targeting the school. The department’s School Resource Officer and Criminal Investigations Unit launched an immediate and coordinated investigation, police said, and officers quickly traced the threat to a juvenile author.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the threats have been determined to be non-credible, according to police, and there is no imminent danger to the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools community stemming from this incident.
The investigation remains ongoing, and has has been referred to the Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for further review.
The department said it worked closely with Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools throughout the investigation.
In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, the department said it will maintain an increased police presence at Hornsby Middle School on Friday, Sept. 20.
“We commend the individuals who promptly reported the social media posts, as community involvement is vital in preventing targeted violence,” police said. “We encourage the public to continue reporting any concerning online activity; threats made via social media, messaging platforms, or anonymous accounts should be reported to law enforcement immediately.”
