The Coweta County Sheriff Department
investigated a rumor involving a threat at East Coweta High
School on Thursday. The rumor circulated widely among the East
Coweta community Thursday morning and alarmed parents and
students.
Superintendent Blake Bass said that he had been informed by law
enforcement that investigators had traced the rumors to a text
message originating from one student, and that the rumor was not
true.
“To the best of our knowledge, and based on reports we have
received from investigators, we have no information that this
was a credible threat,” said Superintendent Bass Thursday
afternoon.
Prior to the start of the school day, school administrators
received information that a student was going to bring a gun to
the school. This threat was widely circulated among students
overnight and prior to the school day using cell phones and the
internet.
Coweta County Sheriff’s officers were on campus prior to the
start of the school day. As students arrived, the school
operated on a state of alert and heightened security. Sheriff’s
officers investigated the threat and any persons rumored to be
involved.
No weapon was found, and no incident occurred at the campus. No
charges have been filed and no arrests have been made. Although
the state of alert remained in place throughout the day, the
school otherwise followed a regular schedule of classes.
Superintendent Blake Bass sent a letter home to East Coweta High
School parents Thursday afternoon to inform them of the rumors.
“Upon receiving the information, administrators acted quickly to
identify and investigate the person in question,” the
Superintendent said. “Law enforcement officers spent several
hours questioning students and investigating the reports.”
Superintendent Bass thanked the Coweta County Sheriff’s office
for their vigorous response to the incident.
“The school system takes all threats seriously and works with
law enforcement to determine the credibility of each threat. All
measures will be taken to identify the source of the rumors. Appropriate disciplinary consequences for the disruption of
school operation will be administered,” he said.
Superintendent Bass also praised East Coweta High School faculty
and staff and administrative personnel “for the great job they
have done in handling this matter and the professionalism they
have displayed throughout the entire day.”
East Coweta High School will hold classes as usual on Friday,
September 21.
Letter to Parents |