21 Teens Arrested Following Surging School Threats in South Carolina, Fuelled by Social Media Misuse

‘Not a joke’: 21 Teens Arrested in Connection to School Threats in South Carolina

Dozens of Threats Made Across the State

After the devastating school shooting in Georgia, an alarming number of school threats have been reported across South Carolina. Records show the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been notified of over 60 threats aimed at numerous schools in 23 counties beginning from Sept. 4th. Most of these threats seem to be exchanged between students through social media or other digital messaging platforms.

Last week, Horry County Schools confirmed that it had been among the districts wrestling with an onslaught of threat rumors circulated on social networking sites.

The Role of Social Media

Most of these social media posts containing threats were manipulated to change the school’s name, and later redistributed on various virtual platforms. In our age of rapidly progressing technology, the ability to alter messages can make tracking the source of such threats a daunting task for law enforcement agencies.

The Justice Response: 21 Teens Charged

Stemming from these threats, SLED has charged 21 teenagers. While we reached out to SLED for more information regarding if any of these arrests were made in Horry County or the Pee Dee, they did not have this data available.

“School threats are not a joke,” stated SLED Chief Mark Keel, emphasizing the gravity of these threats. “Law enforcement takes each threat earnestly, and one should understand that the repercussions of making these threats are serious.”

Further Proactive Measures: Engaging the Behavioral Science Unit

In addition to the arrests, SLED’s Behavioral Science Unit, a team specializing in psychological profiling and providing threat assessments, has been deployed to aid in six school threat probes in different counties across the state.

If You See Something, Say Something

Authorities strongly urge residents to report any school threats they encounter on social media immediately to law enforcement or by contacting 911. According to Horry County Schools, it is crucial not to repost any suspected threatening messages as this can do more harm than good.

Appeal to the Public

Law enforcement agencies, school authorities, and parents must work as a unified front against these threats to ensure the safety of our students is never compromised. In tackling this ongoing issue, open channels of communication and immediate reporting are vital.