Police investigate alleged threat at BEHS

City of Charleston Police are investigating a Bishop England High School student who allegedly threatened to harm students at the facility last week. According to Lt. Jim Byrne, commanding officer for Daniel Island-based Team 5, the student is a 15 year-old Daniel Island resident.

A police report filed on the incident states that an officer was called to the school on Wednesday, December 7, in reference to the threat. School personnel told police that at 8:45 a.m. they were informed that the student was going to “shoot up” the school that day. The employees then checked the attendance roster and noted that the student was not present at school.

The report went on to indicate that school personnel believed the threat was made in a private conversation with another student the evening before – and that the suspect told the other student not to show up to school that day.

“That private conversation was then posted on social media by an unknown person,” stated the report.

After learning of the threat, BE staff members contacted the student’s parents, who told them he was home sick that day and staying with his grandmother. When police phoned the grandmother, there was no answer, so two officers went to the residence to speak with the student. When questioned, the student reportedly denied he had made the threat, but later told officers that he was watching a video of a school shooting and that maybe someone overheard the video. According to the police report, he told officers that his father does own firearms but that they were locked up. The report also stated that the student’s father later informed officers that he would ensure that all guns in the house were secured.

Bishop England Principal Patrick Finneran issued a statement via email to school parents shortly before noon on Wednesday indicating that there was “a safety concern” at the school.

“The police were called as a precaution to keep our students, faculty and staff safe,” wrote Finneran. “After investigating the situation and speaking with the people involved, we and the police have determined that there is no threat to our students.”

The school continued normal operations for the rest of the day. In an update announcement sent out to school families on Thursday, Finneran provided more detailed information about the incident.

“A teacher at Bishop England High School received information on Wednesday...that a student had made general threats against the student population at the high school...Bishop England officials are cooperating with the City Police during the ongoing investigation. During this time, there will be an increased police presence on campus.”

Finneran went on to report that the student who allegedly made the statement was not on campus when the allegation was received and has not been permitted to return to campus pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Bishop England High School officials take any type of threat seriously,” he continued in his message. “They are committed to providing a safe environment for their students, teachers and staff.”

“Anytime that an allegation or issue of this nature is brought to the attention of the police department, it is taken seriously and investigated fully so that we know whether or not there is a danger or risk to the students or to the greater population of the city,” added Lt. Byrne. “Whether or not this case involves something credible is at the very nature of the investigation.”