(UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION) An extra officer was added to Fort Mill Middle School this week because of threats toward the school by a suicidal person, authorities said.
Principal Dr. Emily McQuay told parents in a Tuesday letter that the school had taken extra precaution in light of the threat.
“An individual in the community that was recently taken into custody by law enforcement made threats toward our school following the arrest,” Dr. McQuay said. “The individual is not currently an active threat but we wanted to make you aware of the situation and that we do have additional law enforcement on campus as an extra precaution.”
But Fort Mill Police Capt. Steven Bivins said Wednesday that no arrest was ever made. He released a police report about a suicidal 18-year-old male at Pleasant Knoll Middle School.
The report says an officer responded Feb. 24 to Pleasant Knoll Middle School about a suicidal person who had been confronted by SRO 1st Sgt. Jenkins. The subject advised officers that “he was having suicidal thoughts and requested to be voluntarily transported to the hospital for an evaluation.” Officer Riggan provided that escort to PMC Rock Hill.
Two days later, on Feb. 26, a law enforcement officer contacted a PMC Rock Hill Physician reference to a follow-up to comments that the teen made during the hospital’s evaluation.
“During the initial phase of the investigation, information was obtained of a potential threat to Fort Mill Middle School,” Capt. Bivins said. “Additional security measures were taken in an abundance of caution. The subject was not arrested.”
The investigation is continuing, he said.
Dr. McQuay said the district was cooperating fully with law enforcement. She urged any students who had trouble with the threat or needed to speak to someone to reach out to a school counselor.
“Again, I want to assure you that there is no active threat to our campus at this time,” she said in the Tuesday email. “However, the security of our students and staff is a priority at our school and the district.”