2 Gwinnett County students arrested for faking threats against their schools

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Two Gwinnett County students are facing serious charges after being accused of faking threats following the deadly Apalachee High School shooting.

Gwinnett County Schools Chief of Police Tony Lockhard said one Meadow Creek High School student posted a photo of guns on social media with a message that threatened violence on campus.

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“He was criminally charged with terroristic threats and is also facing discipline consequences within the school,” said Chief Lockhard.

He told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that his team worked with social media companies to track down the student.

“We’ll monitor social media we have some different software applications that we use to monitor and see if there is any chatter about negatively coming onto our school property,” said Chief Lockhard.

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Police said a second student at Archer High School texted her boyfriend about an active shooter on campus, which was also not true. Lockhard said she was seeking attention.

That student was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats.

“We’ve seen a more significant increase in the number of threats and tips, and I think that’s due largely to our proximity. Apalachee High is only one mile from the Gwinnett County border,” Lockhard said.

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At least a dozen other people across metro Atlanta and Georgia have been arrested for making threats against schools, including a 26-year-old man.

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