West Columbia, SC - An incident in which a Pair Education Center student claimed to receive a text from a fellow student about shooting up the school Friday has been investigated and determined not to be a credible threat, according to district and law enforcement officials.
A teacher alerted the principal late Thursday afternoon based on a tip from a student who received the alleged text. The student claimed that another Pair student threatened to bring a gun to school Friday and start shooting. Lexington Two officials and law enforcement officials immediately responded.
The West Columbia Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department investigated throughout the evening, including making visits and searching the homes of both students. The investigation found no weapons, searches of cell phones turned up no threatening texts, and no other evidence was found to corroborate the alleged threat, according to officials.
Extra law enforcement officers are on the Pair campus Friday, in addition to security already there.
The students were not identified because both are minors. Neither is at school Friday.
Lexington Two officials take any threat to students, staff and schools seriously and work collaboratively with our area law enforcement agencies to immediately and thoroughly investigate these threats. The district appreciates the immediate responses of the West Columbia Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department to ensure the safety of Pair students and staff.
