Virginia schools face spike in false bomb and shooter threats
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False threats of violence against Virginia schools haven't stopped for nearly a month — and they're mostly coming from kids and teenagers.
The big picture: At least 36 school divisions statewide, including Richmond-area districts, have faced threats of bombs, shooters and more since the Sept. 4 school shooting in Georgia, per an Axios analysis of news reports.
- They've prompted schools to lock down or temporarily close, disrupting learning and stirring anxiety about safety.
- The latest was Chesterfield, which had Tomahawk Creek Middle School close on Tuesday after a gun threat.
- Last month, Chesterfield police arrested a 13-year-old for threatening to shoot up another county school.
Between the lines: Attorney General Jason Miyares has said these threats risk pulling resources away from actual emergencies, like the stabbing of a student in Chesterfield's Meadowbrook Middle School — also on Tuesday.
- Lauren Shapiro, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told Axios that a single threat can cost between $25,000 and $40,000 to investigate.
What's happening: The quick rise of these fake threats could be a combination of "copycat behavior" from students and heightened attention from officials, said Dewey G. Cornell, an education professor at UVA, to the Washington Post.
- And they're being spotted largely on social media platforms.
Zoom in: Being exposed to threats, even fake ones, can rattle students mentally, Voices for Virginia's Children CEO Rachael Deane told VPM.
- Donald E. Robertson, Virginia Beach's superintendent, told The New York Times that some students were having anxiety attacks in class because of the threats.
- Some school counselors also worry teenagers are becoming more desensitized to violence, per the Times.
- It's led to multiple school divisions asking parents to talk with their children about the consequences of making threats, even if they see them as jokes.
By the numbers: More than 700 children and teenagers across 45 states had been arrested or accused of making violent threats against schools in the three weeks after the Georgia shooting, per the Times.
- Some in Virginia include a 13-year-old in Newport News, a 12-year-old girl in Manassas and a 16-year-old boy in Harrisonburg.
- The severity of charges range from misdemeanors to felonies.
Go deeper: Schools nationwide face rising threats of violence