NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA, September 9, 2024: Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with threats made against local schools, following investigations by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The threats disrupted two separate schools, but no credible evidence of actual danger was found.
The first incident occurred on Wednesday, September 4, when a 15-year-old student from Pinecrest Academy posted an online threat directed at the school. The student admitted to the post when questioned and claimed it was meant as a joke. However, authorities did not find it amusing. The teenager was arrested and charged with terrorist threats.
The following day, Thursday, September 5, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers and Criminal Investigation Division detectives investigated 12 reports of threats to various schools within the county. Despite no guns being found on any campus and no credible threat identified, a 14-year-old male student from Desana Middle School was arrested. The student, who did not have access to weapons, was charged with Terroristic Threats and Disruption of Schools for comments that incited fear and disorder.
Both students are currently being held at the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville after their first appearance in juvenile court. The court sided with the district attorney’s request to keep the teens in custody until further legal proceedings.
Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman emphasized the seriousness of school threats, stating, “We take each and every threat to one of our schools as real and investigate them exhaustively. It is maddening that threats like these, hoax or not, follow a horrific event like the one in Barrow County earlier this week.” He urged parents to speak with their children about the gravity of making such threats, warning that those who do will face jail time.
Sheriff Freeman also commended the community for remaining vigilant and notifying law enforcement of suspicious activity, reassuring residents that school safety is the top priority. “We will do everything we can to find those spreading fear in our students,” he said, highlighting the ongoing collaboration with the Forsyth County School System and the addition of extra deputies at schools to ensure safety.
Superintendent Jeff Young was also praised for his continuous communication and support in strengthening school safety measures.
Authorities urge parents to talk to their children about the consequences of making threats and to remind them that even jokes related to school violence can lead to severe legal action.
