Bullying Sparks Untrue Shooting Rumor At St. Rita's In Solon

SOLON, OH — Parents and students at St. Rita's School helped spread a rumor that a student threatened his classmates on Monday. In reality, sixth graders were bullying one of their classmates and then started a rumor that he was going to respond violently. The rumor was shared repeatedly on social media.

"As unfortunate as this whole incident is, it serves as a great reminder of maintaining an environment of kindness in our schools," a Solon Police spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Students should not fall into the trap of bullying and making fun of classmates, and parents should reinforce this message."

Solon Police said they were called to the school on Monday because a parent had emailed officials at St. Rita's about a threat being made toward students. There appeared to be much concern among the community, particularly on social media.

Police quickly determined that most of what was shared on social media was wrong. Here's what actually happened.

A sixth grader at St. Rita's was harassed by their classmates on Monday. They repeatedly told the student that they "looked like a serial killer" and said he was going to shoot up the school. The student didn't respond to the bullying. They have been the target of previous harassment from classmates.

Somehow, the story of what happened morphed. People came to believe the bullied student had threatened to attack the school in response to the harassment.

"St. Rita’s School, along with the Solon Police Department, quickly learned that there was no threat, however due to the continued calls to the police department and media outlets, we all felt it best to release this information," said a Solon Police spokesperson. "The sixth grade victim of the harassment will receive assistance in improving his school environment."

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