by Kate Shunney
School remained open on Monday, September 30 after a Snapchat message naming five Berkeley Springs High School students as targets of a potential attack at school surfaced on Sunday afternoon, September 29, kicking off another police investigation and school system message to families.
Police were alerted to that message on Sunday and the West Virginia State Police investigated the source of the posting.
Police officials said they had identified the source of the posting on Sunday and had contact with that individual.
Morgan County Schools Superintendent David Banks told The Morgan Messenger on Monday that the individual was a minor female student and has been charged by the West Virginia State Police in connection with the incident.
On Sunday, Morgan County Schools released a statement acknowledging the incident:
“Morgan County Schools were made aware of a threat made via social media involving Berkeley Springs High School. We immediately began working with our local law enforcement and their FBI partners to establish the credibility of this threat and take all necessary precautions. Parents/guardians of students that were mentioned in the threat have been notified directly. At this time, there is no credible threat to student safety,” said a social media posting and automated phone message to families on Sunday evening.
“Any threats will be evaluated by local law enforcement and school officials, and all appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken. Please always remember if you see something, say something. Safety is a team effort,” Morgan County Schools officials said.
This is the second round of social media threats of violence in the Morgan County school system during September. During the week of September 9-13, at least two social media messages threatened violence at local schools. One of those posts was determined to have originated out of the area.
Multiple postings of that item led state officials to organize a statewide school safety effort to share information and coordinate response to similar incidents.
Sgt. Sam Smith of the West Virginia State Police confirmed a juvenile was charged in that incident as well.
