Early this afternoon, detectives with the Union County Sheriff's Office (UCSO) charged a fifteen-year-old female student from Cuthbertson High School for creating and distributing multiple text and social media messages threatening violence against several Union County Public School campuses.

Our office received numerous reports late last night and early this morning from parents and students who shared threatening messages they had received. As a result, extra deputies were deployed to the schools mentioned in the messages to ensure peace of mind, and UCSO detectives, SROs, Patrol Division deputies, and Crime Lab personnel immediately began tracking leads to identify the source of the threats.

Through their diligent work, detectives identified the suspect responsible for the creation and distribution of most of the threatening messages as a 15-year-old female student at Cuthbertson High School. During an interview with the suspect, she admitted that the only motive for her actions was her desire to avoid attending school today. UCSO personnel continue to investigate the origin and person/persons responsible for other “copycat” messages that have been distributed within the last 8-12 hours.

The 15-year-old offender has been charged with multiple counts of Felony Communicating a Threat of Mass Violence on Educational Property. A secured custody order has been issued by the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the offender has been taken into custody and is being processed into a nearby juvenile detention center.

Sheriff Eddie Cathey adds, “Time and time again, we have stressed to our community that we will utilize a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats against our local school campuses. This teenager didn’t want to go to school and selfishly caused widespread panic throughout our community. She will now face the consequences of her poor choices. I encourage all local parents to sit down with their children and share the outcome of this incident with them, stressing the importance of making good choices surrounding school safety.”

Despite the seriousness of the threats, no evidence has been found to substantiate any claims of violence on school campuses. This investigation remains ongoing, and our personnel will continue to ensure the safety of our local schools, students, and teachers.