More students arrested for making threats at schools in Jackson and Oconee counties

For the third time in five days a student in the Oconee County School System has been detained and transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice following an investigation into threats toward a local school.

And in Jackson County, a 12-year-old student became the fourth student there charged in the same time span in connection with making threats toward a school.

The threats, determined by investigators to be without any real danger to those in the schools, has become a problem faced by law enforcement and school administrators in several jurisdictions in the state since the tragic shooting on Sept. 4 at Apalachee High School in Winder. Two students and two teachers were killed and nine others wounded. The shooter was identified as a 14-year-old student.

“We will not tolerate any misconduct and will continue to thoroughly investigate all threats of school violence,” Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said in a statement released Monday after the arrest of a student attending North Oconee High School.

Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said Tuesday that her investigators have charged three students with making terroristic threats and a fourth student was charged with disruption of school. Those facing the terroristic threats charges were transferred to the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville, which is where the suspected Apalachee High shooter, Colt Gray, is also incarcerated.

“They said they were joking, but I told them I didn’t care if they were joking or not,” Mangum said about the juvenile suspects. “You don’t joke about this. We have four dead people at a school and nine (injured). We’re trying to get a message out.”

The most recent case on Monday in Jackson County occurred at Legacy Knoll Middle School in Hoschton. The 12-year-old girl was taken before a judge, who sent the youth to the YDC, according to Mangum.

The principal for the middle school also sent a message to parents that the school system takes all threats, verbal or written, seriously as the safety of students and staff “is an utmost priority.”

In Oconee, Hale reported the investigation showed there was no credible threat to students or staff, but the threats warranted turning the student over to juvenile authorities.

The earlier threat investigations occurred Sept. 5 at Oconee County Middle School. Two students were interviewed in regards to threats and they were also turned over to juvenile authorities, according to the sheriff's office.

Then on Sept. 6, deputies were notified that morning about a Malcom Bridge Elementary School student making a threat of school violence. This student also faces consequences through the juvenile court system.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Sheriffs in Jackson, Oconee warn students about making threats