Response to student's alleged threat against school upsets parents in wake of shootings

A law enforcement agency's social media response to a student's alleged threat against a Georgia school system upset parents Wednesday morning.

An outcry on social media followed the Pike County Sheriff's Office post on Facebook announcing that authorities are aware of the threat.

"Investigators immediately identified and located the juvenile," the post stated.

Some questioned the timing of the 6:53 a.m. posting, accusing authorities of not giving parents information before students were headed to school.

"My daughter said something about it right before she got on the bus," one father said. "She even said some of her friends were staying home today. I wish I would have known a lot sooner so we could have talked more about it."

Others cited Tuesday's shooting at a Benton, Kentucky, school where two people were killed, 18 others hurt and a 15-year-old student is in custody.

That violence prompted a woman to urge the Pike County Sheriff's Office to release more information: "Please be more specific about the whereabouts and the charges being filed against this student. After the horrible school shooting in KY yesterday you know parents are on edge about this type of situation already."

Pike County sheriff's Maj. David Neal told The Telegraph that authorities were notified late Tuesday about the "threatening nature" of an Instagram post from a juvenile student.

Neal said many of the nearly 60 people who responded to the sheriff's office 6:53 a.m. post overlooked that the sheriff's office "and" the school system have "taken the necessary steps to appropriately deal with the juvenile."

One woman stated: "This is not comforting to me. Just the school is handling disciplinary actions? Really?"

Neal said the sheriff's office is stepping up patrols today near the Pike County school complex and are working closely with the school system in investigating the potential threat.

"They have disciplinary actions they will do on their part, and we as the sheriff's office handle any criminal violations," Neal said.

The student was not at school Wednesday, although there have been conflicting rumors circulating in the community, he said.

Due to the suspect's age and possible medical issues, no further information was given about the nature of the alleged threat.

Neal wants to assure the public that schools are safe for students.

"The sheriff's office and the school system are working closely together to ensure all students and staff are safe at Pike County schools."

Pike County is a community of about 18,000 people about 45 miles south of Atlanta and about the same distance to the northwest of Macon.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 9:40 AM.