SAMPSON COUNTY – A 13 year-old student was charged Monday (today) with threatening to kill students at Salemburg Elementary School. The suspect attends Roseboro Middle School. Sheriff Jimmy Thornton expressed his frustration state officials refused to take this suspect and two others into juvenile custody.
The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said the parent of a student at Salemburg Elementary School notified school officials this morning about a threat their child received in a group chat over the weekend. The principal immediately contacted the school’s resource officer, and an investigation began. It was discovered that the 13 year-old student at Roseboro Middle School sent a threat stating they were going to kill students at Salemburg Elementary School.
This juvenile was interviewed and reportedly told authorities the text to be a prank. The school resource officer filed charges against the juvenile. The officer also contacted the Department of Juvenile Justice and requested the juvenile be taken into custody.
In an unrelated incident, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant Sunday after an alleged threat was made by two juveniles on a social media account. The sheriff’s office said the students created a fictitious social media account on Instagram and posted a threat to harm students at Hobbton High School under the fictitious account. Both juveniles indicated there was no intentional malice in their posts, but instead they simply did not want to attend school.
Regardless of the juveniles claimed intent, investigators with the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office charged both juveniles, ages 12 and 13, with Communicating a Threat of Mass Violence on Educational Property. Sunday evening, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office investigators contacted the Department of Juvenile Justice and requested they take secure custody of both juveniles and to immediately confine them to a Juvenile Detention Facility. The request was denied by state officials, forcing investigators under state law to return both juveniles back to their guardians.
In a press release, the sheriff’s office said the Department of Juvenile Justice failed to act in situations at Salemburg Elementary School and Hobbton High School.
Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said, “Both of these incidents are situations where all officers involved did their job, conducted a fast and thorough investigation, made an arrest and the Juvenile Justice System failed to act against these serious threats. Our children are our most precious asset, and they should not be failed by bureaucratic red tape and excuses. This failure to act is beyond troubling and I demand accountability from the State!”
“Even though the Department of Juvenile Justice would not take immediate custody of the juveniles, as mentioned above, investigators did in-fact charge all juveniles involved in both incidents and they will have to answer to a judge on their court date. This Office will take threats against our schools and students seriously and act promptly without hesitation. Regardless of the Department of Juvenile Justice’s actions, rest assured my Office will ensure our schools are safe and I will use every tool in my arsenal of powers to do so. We will continue to have a large presence in every school district for the remaining school year. I beg of parents to please talk with your children and assure them these actions are very serious and will be treated as such.”
“Additionally, I would like to personally thank the North Carolina Highway Patrol for offering officers to assist with securing our schools. Let me close on a personal note and thank the officers and investigators who worked diligently on their day off to come into work and track down these culprits. To paraphrase one social media post related to this incident, the officers, investigators, and school staff are true rockstars and class act,” Sheriff Thornton stated.
This is what happens with the legislature raises the age of responsibility for your actions from 16 to 18. These juveniles know they can get away with anything up to murder with no consequences. Let them drive and act like adults but don’t legally treat them as adults? Makes no sense. Talk to your NC reps!
Easy fix…stop trying to hand things off to the state. The county should handle this.
Handing things off to the State is how every crime in NC is handled (Federal crimes exempt from this argument) . How do you propose each of the 100 counties handle crimes? Each with it’s own rule sets? Each with it’s own sentencing guidelines? I would hate for a liberal county create a law against carry conceal for law abiding citizens or a conservative county not allow me to consume alcohol in a safe and private setting.
Juvenile justice takes control of all juveniles charged with a crime.
Sadder than this is the fact that the parents are probably excusing their child’s behavior with the old “ they’re just kids” excuse.
They deserve jail time they knew exactly whet they were doing they have no right to scare individuals there bullies and this stuff needs to stop
Shame on the State Juvenile System. These so called juveniles knew what they were doing. HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE!! Lower the age of delinquents and also hold their parents responsible. If only the parents would do their job and make these kids behave instead of letting them do whatever they choose.