Large police presence is seen at two high schools in Columbia. Here’s why

There was a larger-than-normal police presence on the campus of two South Carolina high schools Tuesday after they each received violent threats, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Both Eau Claire High School and Dreher High School were targeted in threats that were issued Tuesday morning, police said on social media.

The high schools received bomb threats from an unknown caller Tuesday morning, Richland 1 spokeswoman Ilyssa Weiner told The State. Law enforcement and the school district’s security team were notified, Weiner said.

As a result, additional officers were patrolling the Eau Claire and Dreher high school campuses, according to police. The normally assigned school resource officers were also at both of the Richland 1 buildings.

All students and staff at both schools were safe, police reported.

The calls were believed to be hoaxes, but both buildings were checked and nothing was found on either campus, according to Weiner.

Police said they are coordinating with Richland 1 officials to investigate the threats.

No arrests have been reported.

Other than the increased police presence, no other security measures, like a lockdown, were reported at either of the schools. Eau Claire High School is at 4800 Monticello Road, and Dreher High School is at 3319 Millwood Ave. The schools are separated by about 5 miles.

Anyone with information about the threats is asked to call police at 803-545-3500.

“Parents (and) guardians, please encourage your child to report suspicious activity or knowledge of a perceived threat to police (and) school officials,” police said.

This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 11:37 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription