The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) reports yet another school threat but one with a different twist – on akin to yelling “Fire! in a crowded theater.” It was enough to cause Sheriff Ron Freeman to go to the scene and then issue a blistering statement about school threats that have plagued law enforcement and school officials statewide since the Barrow County school shooting.
FCSO FACEBOOK POST:
“(Friday) afternoon at around (5:00), a bus driver from Little Mill Middle School contacted school transportation stating that students on the bus were indicating someone had a gun on the bus. Working with School Safety and Transportation, 911 Dispatch was able to locate the exact location of the bus by its GPS locating system. Deputies arrived within minutes, and with the limited information they had about a person being armed, they boarded the bus with weapons drawn.
The investigation revealed a student on the bus was playing a video game on his phone, when a 13-year-old student sitting behind him stood up and said, โhe has a gunโ. This comment instilled fear in the other students and they began repeating โgunโ. The student was taken off the bus and searched. ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ. When questioning the 13-year-old about the outburst he indicated he thought it would be funny. That student has been charged with Reckless Conduct. He will answer to those charges before a Forsyth County Juvenile Judge and the school system will take appropriate disciplinary action.
Deputies waited with the bus until all students had been picked up by their parents.
Sheriff Freeman responded to the scene and has this message. โWe need our students to report suspicious activity, but this reckless and just plainly stupid action we have seen in this incident, and several others this week are infuriating. Nothing about this or others is funny. I nor the Forsyth County School System will tolerate this. Parents talk to your kids, reiterate the dangers and punishment that will follow such stupidity. Please also encourage them to take a breath, everyone is anxious but we need them to report any legitimate suspicious acts. Together we keep our schools, students and staff safe.โ”