‘Not a joke’: 21 teens charged in connection to school threats made in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WMBF) – Dozens of school threats have been made across South Carolina since the tragic school shooting in Georgia.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it is aware of over 60 threats targeting schools in 23 counties since Sept. 4.

The agency said many of the threats appear to be shared between students through social media or other digital messaging apps.

Horry County Schools said last week it was one of the districts that dealt with rumors of threats that spread through social media.

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HCS said many of the messages were edited to replace the school name and then shared again on digital platforms.

SLED said 21 teens have been charged in connection to the school threats in South Carolina. We reached out to SLED to see if any of those arrests were made in Horry County or the Pee Dee, but the agency could not provide the information.

“School threats are not a joke,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “Law enforcement takes every threat seriously, and everyone needs to understand that there are serious consequences.”

SLED added that its Behavioral Science Unit was also requested to help with six school threat investigations, each in a different county. The Behavioral Science Unit provides psychological profiling and threat assessments.

SLED and HCS are asking people that if they see a school threat on social media, to immediately report it to law enforcement or call 911.

HCS said if you come across a concerning post on social media, do not repost it because it can do more harm than good.

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