Police increase presence after social media threats about Middle Georgia high school

Under the shroud of heavy fog Friday morning, Warner Robins police officers patrolled around Northside High School.

Officers alerted the public through a Facebook post Thursday night that they were aware of threats about Northside that were circulating on social media posts.

Beth McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Houston County school system, emailed The Telegraph that the system learned of threats against Northside High and school administrators and called the police.

"We have worked closely with them to try to determine if this was fact or rumor. All such reports are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly," McLaughlin stated.

Assistant Police Chief John Wagner promised more school resource officers on campus, and at least three patrol cars were in the parking lot as students arrived.

The police department's Facebook post about 10 p.m. Thursday alarmed parents of students who attend the Green Street school.

Some posted comments and concerns.

"Keeping my kiddos home... Would rather be safe than sorry."

"They should cancel school knowing threats have been made. Makes me scared..."

"Rumors going around that someone going to shoot up Northside High school."

"Hope the school understands. Reports of gunfire in that area right now soooooo... no school tomorrow," someone posted after 10 p.m. Thursday.

"Mine will be home... You can't take things like this lightly. The world has had to (sic) many school shootings."

Early Friday, Wagner told The Telegraph in a text: "We worked all day and night in this and never found any credible info to substantiate the threat. We will be there anyway."

The Houston County Sheriff's Office also was apprised of the threats, and a sheriff's K9 unit cruised through the parking lot as the morning fog was beginning to lift.

Another parent commented on Facebook that her son would be headed to school: "Probably be the safest day NS has ever had. Cops going to be everywhere. Mine wasn't worried about it, so he will go to school."

Wagner said investigators knew that Northside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, was placed on a precautionary lockdown Thursday.

It is possible that information from that threat was being circulated in Middle Georgia.

Fort Smith's KFSM 5 News reported a strange text sent to a student led to extra security measures there Thursday.

This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 5:38 AM with the headline "Police increase presence after social media threats about Middle Georgia high school."