FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Two teenagers were recently arrested and charged after police say on separate occasions a little over a week apart the students made threats to blow up Fluvanna County High School.
The Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office is condemning the threats of violence and said the office was made aware of the first threatening messages in the early morning of Monday, Sept. 18. The messages were said to have contained statements about bringing guns and bombs to school. After a police investigation, a 14-year-old student was arrested and charged with one count of Threats to Bomb a Place of Assembly.
Just over a week later on Sept. 27, the sheriff’s office was again made aware of a social media post in which police said a person had threatened to blow up Fluvanna County High School. Students were evacuated from the building and the school was searched before being turned back over to school staff. After conducting interviews and executing search warrants, the sheriff’s office said a 15-year-old student was arrested and charged with one count of Threats to Bomb a Place of Assembly.
During the school evacuation on Sept. 27, the sheriff’s office said a fight broke out between students. No students were injured and no students were charged criminally, but the sheriff’s office said the investigation is still ongoing and charges may be placed at a later time.
“Threats and messages related to the bombing or burning of schools, and threats of mass violence toward the students, staff, and faculty at the schools in our community are illegal and are not tolerable,” the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office said. “It is not appropriate to publish or send messages containing this content in any context, and there are consequences for doing so. The Sheriff’s Office appreciates the support of the community and the information that has been directly shared related to these crimes and will continue to partner with school officials in responding to and addressing these issues.”
As all suspects involved in the incidents are juveniles, the sheriff’s office was unable to release the identity of those charged.