Yesterday, FCSO Investigators received notice of a social media posting which implied that rival gangs were planning a shooting at Florence School District 1 schools. The incident was thoroughly investigated by our Investigators and the School District and determined to be unfounded. The principal of South Florence High School also notified parents yesterday by email that the threat was unfounded. Nevertheless, the rumor was spread by parents and students on Facebook and other social media platforms, which today lead to unnecessary panic and confusion.
When it comes to the safety of our children and our schools, you can rest assured that we take every threat seriously. We also ask the public to let us know if they learn of a problem or issue and to “see something, say something.” Tell us and we will look into it. If we determine that a credible threat to our children exists, we will be the first to tell you and we will take all necessary measures to prevent harm in our schools. But, please don’t post, forward or retweet unfounded speculation or misinformation! This just causes unnecessary panic and trouble like we have seen today.
So here is the truth. There is no credible threat of a school shooting at any Florence County school, public or private. There is no school lockdown at any Florence County school. There is no reason known to us or Florence School District 1 why your child should not be in school today.