Threat is part of wider group of similar hoaxes called in statewide
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
The City of Beaufort Police Department and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported bomb threat Thursday morning, Aug. 17, 2023, at Beaufort High School.
The school was evacuated, swept and no threats were found.
“As it is my understanding, the threat was received as a 9-1-1 call through dispatch,” said Deputy Chief Lt. Col. Stephenie Price, the spokesperson for the City of Beaufort Police. “They said they got it from a ‘suicide hotline online.’ The call came in about 10:25 in the morning.”
According to Price, the threat indicated that there were “bombs at the school set to explode at a very short time.”
Alerts were sent out by the Beaufort Police and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department via Nixle and social media.
“There are no students present at the school. Expect a large law enforcement presence in the area. Information will be updated as it becomes available,” the alerts stated.
While the alerts stated there were no students present and though school was not in session, Price said there were a few students on campus for things like cheerleading practice and registration. The building was evacuated and searched.
“Regardless of if it’s true or not,” Price said of the threat, “we treat every situation as though its real. We evacuated, swept and searched and found nothing.”
Price said authorities were nearly finished with their search when they found out there had been similar threats throughout the state and around the nation within a day or so of this threat. Price said official believe they are likely related “because they came in the exact same way in the other jurisdictions.”
Once the Beaufort Police and Sheriff’s Office were through with their sweeps and searches, they made the school administration aware there was no bomb and informed the community via Nixle and social media.
Both the Beaufort Police and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office respond to threats at Beaufort High School because of the location of the school. The actual school building falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Beaufort Police, while the football stadium is the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
