Almost half the students at Lucy Beckham High School stayed home Monday, a day after a reported threat said to have involved students, circulated on social media.
An alleged threat of violence against Lucy Beckham High in Mount Pleasant reported late Sunday evening led to Monday’s sharp drop in attendance, with only 44.2% of students attending, compared to average attendance of 91.6%, according to a school district spokesman.
School officials made an official statement on social media Sunday, announcing they were working with law enforcement to determine the source and validity of the threat, rumors of which had been circulating on social media before being brought to officials’ attention.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a disagreement between subjects took place on Snapchat, according to a statement from Mount Pleasant police, but a direct threat to the school was not discovered.
“We want to thank everyone who reached out to us with information about this issue,” police wrote in a social media statement Dec. 6. “The Mount Pleasant Police Department takes all incidents such as these seriously and investigates them to the fullest extent. Students are encouraged to report any circumstance they feel could endanger their safety or the safety of others.”
Also Monday, a loaded gun was found in the backpack of a 14-year-old North Charleston High School student, who was charged with possession of a gun on school property. A week earlier, a gun was found in a backpack at a Dorchester District 2 middle school.
All the incidents came a week after another deadly school shooting, this time near Detroit, that killed four students. A 15-year-old has been charged in those killings, along with his parents, who reportedly purchased the pistol for the teen as a gift before committing what state attorneys are prosecuting as an act of terrorism.
Mount Pleasant police urge students and parents to report all instances that could potentially endanger students to school administrators or teachers or local police departments, either over the phone or anonymously.
Stay cool. Support City Paper.
City Paper has been bringing the best news, food, arts, music and event coverage to the Holy City since 1997. Support our continued efforts to highlight the best of Charleston with a one-time donation or become a member of the City Paper Club.