No charges filed against student who threatened to attack school; attorney says comments a ‘cry for help’

The attorney representing the 17-year-old Dreher High School student who threatened to attack the school on this week’s 16th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings said the student’s threats were a “cry for help.”

But Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement Wednesday that the department saw “a serious threat with the real possibilities of being done.”

Lori Murray, the student’s attorney, said although threats need to be taken seriously and investigated, there was never a credible threat to the safety of the students or faculty at Dreher High School.

“We would like the media and the public to know the events being described in the media have been greatly exaggerated,” Murray said in a statement. “Any comments made were instead made by a child dealing with personal issues and were at worst, a cry for help.”

“It is unfortunate these events were released to the media prior to the completion of a proper investigation, thereby compromising the privacy and care of the student and his family,” Murray said.

But Lott said “if no action was taken and the public not made aware, we would be severely criticized if someone had been hurt, or if made public we had kept it quiet.”

“We are concerned about the young man and his intentions, as well (as) the safety of any potential victims,” Lott added. “All too often in school disasters, warning signs were ignored.”

Murray said her client’s home and computer have been searched and there were no weapons, plans or credible threats of violence found.

“For that reason, it is our hope and belief, no charges will be filed,” Murray said.

Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said Wednesday the 17-year-old male, whose identity was not released, underwent a mental health assessment with the participation of his family.

Timmons said the action taken by faculty and several students would have saved lives had the threats been real.

The student attends the Heyward Career Center and was detained by Richland County sheriff’s deputies on Monday after school officials called law enforcement in reference to a plot to shoot students and faculty at Dreher, Lott said Monday.

Law enforcement responded to the center and detained the student without incident, Richland 1 Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said in a statement.

Witherspoon said there were no weapons found in the student’s possession when he was detained.

When the student was questioned, investigators found material related to the Columbine shootings on the student’s social media account. The student had been planning to do harm since January, Lott said.

The student was then turned over to Columbia police, which continues to investigate.

Timmons said Wednesday that investigators have consulted with the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s office regarding the case but that no charges have been filed.

Two students killed 12 fellow students and one teacher at Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., in 1999.

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 3:08 PM with the headline "No charges filed against student who threatened to attack school; attorney says comments a ‘cry for help’."