Date: 09-29-2018
Gun threat at Belfry Middle School investigated
The threat of a possible shooting at a local middle school has been investigated and police and school officials have determined it to have been a hoax.
Pike County Sheriff Rodney Scott said he received notification of the threat by school administrators and also from complaints on Facebook.
“Yesterday, we were told someone put on Facebook that a kid was going to bring a gun to (Belfry Middle) school,” Scott said. “We take all threats seriously and began looking into it.”
The sheriff said he and his deputies even questioned one student and his parents.
“The student said he saw something written on a desk and then showed it to a friend and everything stemmed from that,” Scott said. “The student said it was just a misunderstanding.”
That student chose not to attend classes on Friday in an attempt to diffuse the situation, he said.
Scott and school officials said rumors about the situation such as the school being under lockdown and a gun on the campus were the result of social media rumors running rampant.
“No gun was found at the school,” Scott said.
School officials said they did everything they could to keep calm.
“We did not have a lock down. Everything as proceeded as normal,” BMS Principal Jeremy Howard said. “We have had law enforcement here as a calming presence to make sure the students feel safe.”
Howard said he conducted a brief assembly with the student body Friday to assure them there was no danger.
He said the threat was a message found written on a desk in one of the classrooms.
“No actual threat was ever made to any student at any time,” Howard said. “We want our students to be safe at all times. My daughter goes to school here. If there was trouble she wouldn’t be here today.”
However, Howard said he did notify law enforcement as per Pike County Board of Education policy. Also, all students who sat at that desk throughout the day were questioned.
Many BMS parents have voice concerns about safety on social media and said they were keeping their children home from school. Howard confirmed there was “noticeable drop in enrollment” on Friday.
“The safety of our children is our number one priority,” said Pike County Schools Superintendent Reed Adkins. “The faculty handled the situation perfectly and notified the sheriff’s office immediately. We have been in close contact with law enforcement and do not feel there is a danger at the school.”
By Terry L. May
Appalachian News-Express
