At approximately 3:00 p.m. today, Union County 911 received a call from a cell phone located within Weddington Middle School reporting that a student had been shot on campus. The assigned UCSO School Resource Officer was already on site when the call came in, and in less than four minutes, numerous additional UCSO deputies arrived to assist and safeguard the school. The campus was immediately and thoroughly searched. No weapons were found, and it was determined that no shooting had occurred and that this was clearly a false report or a hoax.
The subsequent investigation confirmed that today’s false 911 call came from a 13-year-old student inside the school. Deputies quickly identified him as the individual responsible, and he has been charged with a felony offense for making the false report. The identity of the offender cannot be released due to his age, and all criminal charges will be processed through the Department of Juvenile Justice. No evidence was found indicating a weapon was ever on campus.
Sheriff Eddie Cathey adds, “Let me be clear, we have zero tolerance for anyone who makes false threats against our schools. These hoaxes/false reports will be investigated aggressively, and those responsible will face serious consequences. They create panic, disrupt learning, and divert emergency resources away from where they may be truly needed. I am proud of the rapid response and professionalism of our deputies and school resource officers today, and I am thankful for the strong partnership with Union County Public Schools that helps keep our schools, students, and staff safe. Parents should feel confident knowing that their children are safe and that the safety protocols in place worked exactly as designed.”
The Sheriff’s Office strongly encourages parents to sit down with their children this evening and discuss the seriousness of making false threats. These actions are not jokes, they are crimes with lasting legal and personal consequences.
Sheriff Cathey also extends his thanks to parents for their patience and understanding as this incident was actively investigated, which led to lockdowns around the time students were scheduled to be dismissed from school.
