Lexington High School on alert after student makes alleged threats on social media

This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2018.

There are more police officers than usual on campus today at Lexington High School, where talks of a threat made to the school circulated among students and parents.

Lexington Principal Melissa Rawl sent an email out to parents Tuesday morning telling them the officers would be on campus “in an abundance of caution.”

She said the school is following “each and every report” and working with police to investigate the alleged threats. In a follow-up email around 1:30 p.m., Rawl wrote the “rumors” were made up of “bits and pieces of different social media remarks and comments from more than one student” and combined into one.

She said that last week, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department interviewed students involved in an incident during which one student sent a questionable note to peers. It was determined by the sheriff’s department that no threat was made, Rawl wrote.

In a separate incident on Monday night, another student posted on social media that he had intentions “to harm himself and others.” The district received a report about the post through its tip line, Rawl said in the email.

The sheriff’s department responded to the student’s home Monday night, interviewed the student and the student’s mother, spokesperson Adam Myrick said. It was then determined the student needed to be transported for further medical evaluation.

The student was hospitalized and is receiving treatment while police continue to investigate the incident, according to Rawl’s email.

Lexington 1 school district spokesperson Mary Beth Hill said the district is working on getting more information and it is “not taking any of it lightly.” The sheriff’s department is working with the school and the school district to keep parents informed and to take the appropriate action.

Rawl wrote in her first email to parents that Tuesday would be a “completely normal school day.” She asked in her second email that parents and students refrain from passing along allegations word-of-mouth so as to nip rumors in the bud.

Lexington High School has a population of nearly 1,800 students.

The high school will send updates to parents as it deems necessary. Any relevant information should be reported to the district’s tip line at 803-636-8317.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 12:01 PM.