WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Students Kept Out of School Following Alleged Shooting Threat
Rumor or reality? Word of a dangerous threat to students in Montgomery County schools spread like wildfire over the weekend. Law enforcement got involved and parents kept their kids out of class.
School officials say Friday, an 11th grader at the Montgomery County High School handed out $100 bills to a bunch of students. By Friday afternoon, many turned the money into the principal, who started an investigation.
But by Sunday, the story took on a whole new life with claims the student was allegedly going to hand out more money on Monday and then shoot whomever he gave the money.
The community panicked, the authorities got involved and more than half the students in Montgomery County did not go to school today. "There was a snowball effect, no doubt," superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten told WTOC. "The rumor mill was rampant."
Dr. Batten says the GBI has teamed with Mount Vernon police and Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies and questioned the students about who gave the money out.
They believe the money was the 17-year-old boy's great grandfather's. The teen, who lives with his great grandfather, has not been arrested, but he has been kept in police custody while the investigation continues. Dr. Batten says the internet helped fuel the alleged terroristic threat and Columbine-style attack rumor.
The school implemented a safety plan late Sunday, just in case. Police were at the school this morning, the student was in police custody, but fewer than 500 students showed up to school.
Parents we spoke with expressed outrage at what they called a lack of communication, but Dr. Batten says word of a possible threat took on a life of its own.
"I want to assure parents we will have a safe learning environment," he said. "The student will not be returning to Montgomery County High School. I feel like we reacted very well and I am disappointed attendance was negatively impacted today."
We spoke with Montgomery County sheriff Clarance Sanders. He says the investigation is ongoing and the student in question remains in his custody, but so far, after interviewing a number of students who received money, no one can say they heard any threat to other students.
As for the suspect's future, again, he has not been arrested or charged with anything. Dr. Batten says the student will likely be placed in an alternate learning environment upon his return to school, unless the investigation shows he did something wrong, then he would be subject to a disciplinary process.
For the safety of the school and the student in question however, Dr. Batten says it is unlikely the student will return to Montgomery County High School.
Reported by: Don Logana, dlogana@wtoc.com
