The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office investigated six school threats this week in Forsyth County Schools in the wake of Monday's deadly shooting at a school in Nashville.
Sheriff Ron Freeman said while they were glad all six threats were unsubstantiated, authorities will not tolerate the fear and anxiety threats create within the schools.
"Six of our students have been arrested because they played, for some god unforeknown reason, a cruel hoax, joke or whatever you want to call it, by making bomb threats, death threats and threats of someone bringing a gun to school," Freeman said in a video posted to the agency's Facebook page.
Freeman said one of the students who was arrested was a 12-year-old middle school student.
A press release issued by the sheriff's office and Forsyth County School District said students, parents and guardians were instrumental in making sure the threats were investigated, as many submitted tips through the P3 Campus app. Freeman encouraged the community to follow the "See Something, Say Something," mindset. Anyone who sees or hears about anything believed to be suspicious should reach out to school officials or the sheriff's office.
"Please take the time to ensure your children are OK this week," the release said. "Our school counselors are available if they need additional support."
Freeman said any threats made by students can have serious consequences.
"I need you to have a very hard conversation with your students," Freeman said. "If you threaten a Forsyth County School, if you threaten any school in Forsyth County, whether it is a public or private school, whether it is a joke or a hoax or whatever you want to call it, I will put you in jail. You will go to jail. There are kids now who are going to spend their spring break in jail because they thought this was funny."
