School threats — like the slew that followed Heritage High shooting — are unfortunately common, officials say
In the days since a shooting at a Newport News high school, unfounded threats have flooded into schools around Hampton Roads — making students and families even more nervous.
Although scary, upticks in reports like this are unfortunately common after incidents of school violence, law enforcement and school officials say.
None of the threats, made on social media, were deemed credible, but other incidents have prompted heightened security measures. One school, Green Run Elementary, went on lockdown Wednesday because of a safety concern in the neighborhood unrelated to the school, Virginia Beach schools spokeswoman Natalie Allen said. Another school, Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, took special precautions at dismissal because of other security concerns.
Safety concerns didn’t prompt lockdowns in other schools but there has been an increased police presence at many schools as a result of Monday’s shooting and the various threats.
As of Wednesday afternoon, only one arrest was made but police officials said anyone found to have made a threat will face charges. Students could face disciplinary action.
Nedko Ivanov Coon, 20, from Newport News, was charged Tuesday with two counts of threats of violence involving a school, Hampton police said. He made threats to two schools, Phoebus High in Hampton and Denbigh High in Newport News, Hampton and Newport News police officials said.
There have been no other threats to Hampton schools, school spokesperson Carolyn Bowers said.
Officials said this is a typical occurrence after school shootings. Chesapeake police spokesperson Det. Alison Robare said her department started seeing “vague” but “threatening” posts circulating immediately after the shooting at Heritage.
“When incidents such as the shooting at Heritage High School happen, it is not uncommon for there to be an uptick in reports and rumors of threats to school communities,” Allen said.
The threats have come on social media and some of the posts are ones that have been shared previously, Waters Middle School Principal Craig Harris told his students’ families in an email. Social media posts containing threats reviewed by The Virginian-Pilot also showed similarities, with a different school’s name posted on the same photo in some cases.
Most of the threats have been directed at high schools: Oscar Smith and Western Branch in Chesapeake, I.C. Norcom in Portsmouth, Lakeland and Nansemond River high schools in Suffolk and Green Run and Kempsville high schools in Virginia Beach. Threats were also made to Oscar Scmith Middle in Chesapeake, Churchland and Waters middle schools in Portsmouth and King Fork Middle in Suffolk.
“Several” threats were made to Norfolk schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels, district spokeswoman Madeline Curott said. She said she could not specify which. The Pilot reviewed social media posts naming three schools.
Last week, Virginia Beach police investigated what was determined to be a non-credible threat to shoot someone who planned to attend Salem High School’s Friday night football game, law enforcement officials said. In investigating the threat, police arrested four individuals and seized nine firearms.
Following so soon after Monday’s shooting, the threats put many on edge and prompted a number of parents to go to schools to pick up their children Wednesday, Allen said. She cautioned against parents picking students up early.
“If we ever felt like there was an issue that required us to dismiss, we would do that,” Allen said. “At this time, the threats are unsubstantiated which is why kids are still in school, and we would encourage families to keep their kids in school.”
Chris Samuels was among those who rushed to Kempsville High after his 10th-grade daughter asked him to come. The school’s principal sent a message to families, but he didn’t get it — Samuels learned about the threat from his daughter, who messaged him through Pinterest because she didn’t have a cell phone. She told her dad she wanted to go home.
Samuels commended school officials for how they handled student-pickup.
Melissa George, Kempsville’s principal, told parents she understood everyone’s fear.
“Of course just hearing or seeing such language can be upsetting to children, so I ask you talk with your child about the role they play in school safety,” George wrote. “If they hear something concerning they should report it immediately to police or an adult and not perpetuate the rumor through social media or gossip. This will allow the school and police to respond more efficiently to safety concerns. Your child’s safety is our highest priority and we take these matters very seriously.”
Staff writers Lyndon German, Jane Harper, Sierra Jenkins and Ali Sullivan contributed.
Sara Gregory, 757-469-7484, sara.gregory@pilotonline.com
