GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Parkview High School student is facing criminal charges and school disciplinary action after posting a threatening message about the campus online, school officials said.
The social media post prompted school police to investigate after classmates reported it. Officers later met with the student and the student’s parents as part of the investigation.
During that meeting, the student acknowledged making the post but said the threat was not intended to be serious. Even so, school officials said threats against a school are taken seriously regardless of whether the person who makes one claims there was no intent to act on it.
Principal David Smith told families that making threats violates Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Student Conduct Behavior Code as well as state law. The student is expected to face consequences through both the criminal justice system and the school.
School officials also credited the students who reported the post. Their decision to speak up allowed authorities to investigate the situation quickly rather than allowing the threat to go unreported.
The student’s name and age have not been released. Authorities have also not publicly detailed the wording of the social media post or identified the specific criminal charges filed against the student.
The incident comes after Parkview High has dealt with other recent threat-related incidents this school year. In August, the campus was briefly placed under a soft lockdown after a reported hoax phone call; police later said there was no credible threat and cleared the campus.
Despite the latest investigation, school officials said there is no continuing danger to students or staff. Classes are expected to continue on their normal schedule, with school police and administrators remaining attentive to campus safety.
The situation also serves as a reminder that students can face serious consequences for threatening statements made online, even when they later say the post was only a joke or was never meant to be carried out.
