SILER CITY — Jordan-Matthews High School received a school shooting threat Thursday and had increased police presence on campus Friday morning. Chatham County Schools officials say the situation is under control and nobody was harmed.
"On Thursday evening, we received an anonymous tip through the See Something Say Something reporting App regarding a potential act of violence involving firearms at Jordan-Matthews HS," a statement from Chatham County Schools said.
See Something Say Something is an anonymous reporting system that enables students to anonymously report an issue 24/7/365 through an app, hotline, or website when they see or hear of a threat to their campus. The app was developed in the wake of the Sandy Hook Massacre.
Further investigation found the threat was widespread across the state and not unique to Chatham County Schools. The threat, which circulated widely on social media, does not specify a school, county or state, and appears to have caused panic in several states, including North Carolina, Florida and Alabama.
A copy of the threat, which was posted on social media, is shown below:
Multiple school districts in Florida reported the threat, leading to an investigation by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, which determined it was likely a hoax, according to ABC News affiliate WPBF.
CCS officials said law enforcement was immediately contacted Thursday evening and a sweep of the campus with a K-9 unit was conducted Friday morning to ensure no weapons were present and to confirm the campus was safe for operations. The search found nothing.
In preparation for school on Friday, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office decided to provide an additional law enforcement presence on the J-M campus. Arrangements were also made to have the K-9 unit return to the campus on Friday morning, CCS said.
J-M administration sent messages to both staff and families last night alerting them to the concern and letting them know that appropriate steps had been taken, according to the district.
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson posted about the shooting threat on Facebook Thursday night. He called it a "nonspecific threat."
"As always, we work closely with our county and local law enforcement agencies and school partners to solve challenges.," CCS told the News + Record in a statement Friday afternoon. "Safety is our number one priority. We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure that our students attend schools with safe environments. Safety is everyone's responsibility. If you see something, say something. Additionally, it is important to understand that those who participate in sending messages that disrupt schools in any way will be held accountable through disciplinary actions up to and including a recommendation for long-term suspension from the school system."
A source who wished to remain anonymous told the News + Record the threat also impacted nearby schools of East Randolph High School and Asheboro.
This is a breaking news story, updates will be provided as they become available.