Middle School Student Charged in Shooting Threat

A teenager has been charged with allegedly threatening to commit a shooting at Mill Creek Middle School in Woodstock.

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office has charged the 13-year-old with one count of making terroristic threats, spokesperson Lt. Jay Baker said. The child was arrested, and subsequently released to his parents, Baker added.

According to an incident report released by the sheriff’s office, the agency on Dec. 4 received a phone call from the mother of a juvenile, who had in her possession her son’s cell phone that contained text messages allegedly detailing a plot to “bust a cap” at the school.

According to the text messages outlined in the report, the parent of the teenager posed as her son and had a conversation with the suspect. The teenager asks the boy if he planned to also take part in the plot, which was allegedly set to happen on Friday, Dec. 5, the report states.

In the conversation, the teenager allegedly said he was “gonna have knives and guns” and reportedly threatened to kill the teenager if word got out about his plans.

Juvenile 1 told investigators the teenager allegedly had photos of multiple weapons posted on his Instagram profile.

“Juvenile 1 appeared to be shocked that Juvenile 2 would think he was willing to participate in the plan,” the sheriff’s deputy wrote in his report.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office searched the home of the mother and son for weapons, but that searched produced with negative results. Investigators then met with the parents of the student, and asked to see the cell phone their son had been using to allegedly send the threatening messages.

The parents said their son did not have a cell phone, and was using a neighbor’s phone to send and receive text messages. The parents consented to having their home searched “to make sure their son did not bring a gun into the house that they did not know about,” the report states.

Three .22 caliber rifles and three BB guns were located in the home, and the parents of the student allowed the sheriff’s office to take the firearms for “safekeeping.”

Deputies also searched the home of the teen who knew about the alleged plot, but no weapons were recovered there.

Cherokee County School District spokesperson Barbara Jacoby said ”appropriate disciplinary action” was taken by the school, and parents were informed in a letter last week about the incident.

In that letter, Principal Elaine Daniel noted the “safety and welfare” of Mill Creek Mille School students is the system’s first priority and “we appreciate the efforts of our faculty, students and community in helping making our school as safe as possible.”

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