Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrest man who threatened several mass school shootings
A Charlotte man was in jail Friday on allegations that he made mass shooting threats against local schools, according to court records.
A search warrant says emails and letters sent Feb. 15 and on Tuesday threatened several Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, and that police connected those threats to Drew Owens, 31, through information from his family.
More emails were sent to his ex-girlfriend, the law enforcement center and neighbors of friends and family, the search warrant says.
“His family advised that he has a history of mental illness and substance abuse, and that his erratic behavior has escalated lately,” according to the search warrant.
In a Tuesday letter, Owens wrote that someone was struggling with mental health issues and would “shoot up” Garinger High School, according to an affidavit.
That person would “put all the blacks in their place” and wanted “to kill all the blacks,” the letter said. Police tied the letter to Owens, according to records.
“We are aware that our school was one of several receiving a threat and took appropriate precautions to ensure students and staff remained safe,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said in a statement. “We continue to cooperate with law enforcement and follow their guidance on what information we can share.”
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM.