Edgewood High School Students Charged After Threats Found On Desk

EDGEWOOD, MD — Authorities say that two students from Edgewood High School have been criminally charged after writing a threatening message on a school desk because they wanted classes to be canceled. While there was no information about what the threat said, the Harford County Sheriff's Office said that the girls involved had neither the means nor the desire to carry it out.

Alexis Robinson, 18, of Edgewood, and Shyanne Evans, 18, of Abingdon, have been charged as adults with threatening to commit mass violence, conspiring in a threat of mass violence and disturbing school operations, officials said Friday. Both were charged through criminal summonses.

According to officials, another student came forward and alerted the school resource officer (SRO) at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday that a photo containing a threatening message was circulating.

"As a result of the investigation, the SRO determined that while a threat was made and shared, neither student involved had the means, intent or interest to carry out the threat," the sheriff's office said in a statement on Friday. "At this time, it is believed the students attempted to use the false threat as a means to have school canceled."

A series of possible school threats circulating over social media this week led to investigations at multiple Harford County Public Schools.

Police presence was increased at Bel Air and Harford Technical high schools on Wednesday after possible threats surfaced. In addition, a Snapchat threat was probed at Havre de Grace High School on Thursday.

Officials say they want the charges against the Edgewood students to serve as a warning for others who are thinking about making threats.

"We take these threats seriously and do not consider them humorous in any way. Even if threats are not deemed credible, you can be charged with a crime," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. "School shootings, like the recent one in Parkland, Florida, are tragic events, and should not be used in an attempt to leverage a prank in order to disrupt school operations.”

Said Gahler: "We encourage all residents of Harford County to, if you see something, say something, and the student did the right thing by immediately coming forward."

• Snapchat Threat At Havre de Grace High Unfounded, Principal Says
• Threat Toward Harford Tech To Increase Police Presence: Sheriff
• Bel Air High Among Schools With Increased Police On Wednesday

Photo via Edgewood High School.