Lexington, SC 11/19/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green released a statement overnight regarding the large police presence that was at Northside Christian Academy in the town much of the late afternoon and into early evening Thursday. In that statement, Green said the school had been placed on lockdown because of a social media hoax perpetrated by an upper grade student. That student had exchanged a message with a friend alleging that there was a man on campus who had a gun.
According to Sgt. Cameron Mortenson, a spokesman for the department, at 4:20 p.m., officers were dispatched to the Northside Christian Academy after a parent called saying a Snapchat threat had been sent among students that there was a man on campus with a gun. Northside Christian Academy immediately put the school into lockdown status and teams of officers began searching the school room by room and bringing students, faculty, and staff outside.
After everyone was believed to be removed from the school, Northside Christian Academy staff worked to reunify students with parents in the parking lot. Officers then completed a second search of the entire building to ensure that there was no threat within and that no one was still hiding from the lockdown.
During the investigation, it was found that a Northside Christian Academy high school student had sent a message on Snapchat about a man with a gun on campus to a friend as a joke. That message was then shared with other students.
This investigation is ongoing to determine who all were involved in this social media hoax. If charges are made, the LPD has said they will update the community.
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