6:10 AM, December 16, 2021 Update: As of 9:50 PM on Wednesday night, December 15, 2021 the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office has an initial suspect in custody in conjunction with the anonymous threat at William James Middle School. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, but it appears that the suspect acted alone.
The school district is thankful for the swift support and continued support of local law enforcement, especially the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office. School Resource Officer Bubba Revell also assisted with the investigation.
While the school district has downgraded the alert at the school, and William James Middle will operate on a normal schedule for the remainder of the week, administrators will remain vigilant in its focus on school safety.
William James Middle School will have heightened security measures on December 16-17, 2021, due to an anonymous social media threat against the school that was reported by students on Wednesday.
William James Middle School will be open. All activities after school, except band, have been rescheduled. Additional safety precautions are in place, including increased law enforcement. Lockdowns could occur that may limit movement on campus during the school day.
On Wednesday, an anonymous Instagram account sent messages to multiple student accounts asking students to follow the site. The site’s content featured a post which threatened that a shooting would take place at the school on Thursday or Friday, which are the last two days of the first semester.
Students made school administrators aware of the site, and it was immediately reported to law enforcement who are actively investigating the incident.
Bulloch County Schools treats all threats as credible and immediately involves law enforcement. Continue to help us educate children about proper digital citizenship. Also take time to know more about school safety by visiting the school district's website. Threats of any kind against a school are a crime, and they will result in legal action and school discipline.
Bulloch County Schools always encourages students and adults to say something if you see something. You can Immediately report crime tips or suspicious activity at a school to a school administrator, a trusted adult, or contact law enforcement tip lines:
- Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office: 912.764.1771 or [email protected]
- Statesboro Police Department: Text TIPSSPD plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) or report tips online at statesboropd.com .
- Bulloch County Schools Safety Department: 912.212.8891 or [email protected].
On Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Mill Creek Elementary School was locked down due to a threat.
