AirDrop threats sent to CMS students; 4 school lockdowns not related
Police are investigating threatening messages sent via AirDrop to some students at Julius Chambers High School in northeast Charlotte, the district confirmed Wednesday.
The school also was placed on lockdown for about one hour Wednesday morning at 7:30 because of police activity in the area, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ spokesperson Cassie Fambro said. The lockdown was separate from the AirDrop messages, Fambro said.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesperson said police received a tip about an armed person in the area at the time of the lockdown. However police did not find evidence that this tip was credible and the area was cleared.
Fambro said there is an increased police presence on campus “out of an abundance of caution.”
Three other schools in Huntersville also were put on brief lockdowns Wednesday morning because of police presence in the area: Blythe Elementary, J.M. Alexander Middle, North Academy of World Languages were all on lockdown, Fambro confirmed.
Chambers school officials sent out a message to families addressing the AirDrop threats. AirDrop is a service that allows a person to transfer files between phones.
“Law enforcement has been notified and is actively investigating,” the message stated. “Any student who makes a threat is in violation of the CMS Code of Student Conduct and will be disciplined, with the potential for criminal charges.”
School officials also reminded families to tell their children that all threats have serious consequences.
“We encourage everyone to help keep our schools safe by reporting concerns immediately,” the message stated.
Students can send anonymous tips to saysomething.net or use the Say Something App to report threats to CMS.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 11:22 AM.
