NORFOLK, Va. — A 12-year-old student was charged earlier this month after making a threat toward Northside Middle School, the Norfolk Police Department said.
Police spokesman Sgt. William Pickering said the student made a threat in a social media post "on or about March 1" to "shoot up the school."
Norfolk police detectives investigated the threat and charged the child with Virginia code 18.2-83, which includes making "threats to bomb or damage buildings" and "false information as to danger to such buildings."
A Norfolk Public Schools spokeswoman confirmed that Northside Middle Principal Letisha Lawrence sent school families a messag on March 2 regarding a "potential threat" that administrators had been made aware of the night before. Lawrence said an investigation in partnership with Norfolk police determined the threat was not credible.
Pickering said that since that original threat was posted on social media, police think the same post has been recirculating, causing renewed concern among Northside students and parents.
Becaue of that, he said there was a police presence in the area of the school last week as a precaution.
Principal Lawrence sent families another message on Wednesday, March 29 about a "potential threat" school administration learned of the the evening before. Lawrence told parents that students "may notice an increased security presence" at the school, out of an abundance of caution.
"Discipline according to Norfolk Public Schools Code of Conduct has been and will continue to be issued to any student found to be responsible for making threats against schools," Lawrence wrote in the message.
NPS would not provide any other information about the threats.