Police grapple with threats against schools after Georgia shooting tragedy

In the wake of the Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia, police across the state and further afield have dealt with a string of copycat school shooting threats.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Thursday, one day after the tragedy, that officers had responded to several incidents of threats at other schools.

“This is a very difficult time for students & parents and many are afraid. You’ve likely seen reports of incidents of other students making threats today at schools around GA,” the GBI said on X.

“In each of these incidents, police took charges and made arrests as we take each matter seriously,” the department wrote.

In Gainesville, Georgia, a 14-year-old was arrested, accused of “going to social media and referencing threats and actions,” police said. The unidentified juvenile was taken into custody and is being held on charges of terroristic threat and disrupting operation of a public school. 

This came after 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray was arrested Wednesday after opening fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, killing two teachers and two students, and injuring nine others. Police announced Thursday evening that the suspect’s father was also arrested on charges including involuntary manslaughter.

“This is a time for us a state to come together & remain vigilant. Students must be supported and encouraged to contact a member of school faculty with all concerns of suspicious activity,” the GBI said on X.

Threats of violence against schools have become commonplace and the department did not say whether the shooting threats were linked to the Apalachee shooting this week.

Elsewhere, in Sioux County, Iowa, multiple schools went on lockdown Thursday after “a threat was discovered at Sioux Center High School.”

The threat caused all Sioux Center School District buildings to go on lockdown, and nearby communities of Hull, Orange City, Hawarden and Rock Valley also locked down as a precaution. Sioux Center Community School District Superintendent Gary McEldowney said in a statement: “A thorough investigation took place and we are confident that the threat has been resolved.”

In Virginia, Pulaski County Public Schools announced Thursday evening that all schools and offices will be closed Friday after law enforcement notified the district that “multiple threats have been made to harm the PCPS school division at some point tomorrow.”

Those threats are being investigated, and the closure was “for the safety of our children until we have more details.”