A juvenile has been arrested following a bomb threat directed towards the T.J. Elder Middle School.
On Tuesday evening, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of the threat, which was circulating on social media [mainly Snapchat] in the hours prior.
Alongside the Sandersville Police Department and Washington County Board of Education School Resource Officers, the Sheriff’s Office launched a prompt and thorough investigation.
According to Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran, law enforcement identified and questioned the suspect within the ensuing hour.
An 11-year-old sixth grade student of the T.J. Elder Middle School was arrested and charged with felony terroristic threats and acts and misdemeanor criminal attempt to disrupt a public school.
“We remain dedicated to maintaining the security of our schools and take all threats to the safety of our students very seriously,” said Sheriff Cochran. “The rapid response of our investigators and partner agencies demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that our children are protected at all times.”
At this time, Sheriff Cochran states that there is no known threat to any Washington County school or students.
The terroristic threat comes off the heels of a pair of letters from Superintendent Harden to parents and guardians discussing the safety measures in place in WACO schools following the deadly shooting in Barrow County earlier this month.
Washington County Public Schools were already set to see an increased presence of local law enforcement on all campuses on Wednesday, as a state mandated district-wide intruder drill was previously scheduled.
All Georgia school districts must conduct the drill by October 1 each year. WACO Schools set plans for the drill during this year’s pre-planning on July 30.
“We routinely conduct numerous drills throughout the school year to assess our readiness level and sharpen our processes,” said Superintendent Harden. “Safety drills enable us to provide our students, staff, and community with the resources and tools to respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations.”
With a rash of unsubstantiated threats occurring across the state in recent weeks, this incident was the first to occur in Washington County.
“We urge all community stakeholders to talk with our youth and remind them that threats of this nature will not be tolerated in our community or schools. Acts of this nature will be dealt with swiftly and are not taken lightly,” said Harden. “If you or your child see or hear anything that could be a safety concern, please do not hesitate to notify a school official.”