A Charlotte mother says she feared for her son after a video surfaced Wednesday showing someone threatening to “kill everybody” at Ridge Road Middle School. Jasmine Pinn told reporters the clip left her son shaken and that she shared the video with local news. Even after school officials and police said the person behind the recording had been tracked down, many parents at the Highland Creek campus spent the rest of the day on edge.
Police say suspect found, case still open
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told WCNC the video was reported to them in late February and that the person who made the threatening recording “has been identified and located.” CMPD said the investigation remains active as detectives work to determine the circumstances around the clip. The department did not immediately say whether any charges had been filed.
Parents juggle fear, caution and school routine
Some families, like Pinn’s, said they were alarmed enough to pull their children from school. She told WCNC she took her son to campus on Wednesday only after she learned school leaders were handling the situation and that “her son was afraid for his life.” Other parents kept kids home entirely, and students at Ridge Road reported noticeably lighter classrooms. One student, Jayce Thomas, said in one room roughly half the usual students showed up, while another class had as few as 11 kids. The district has urged families to rely on official communications as police and school officials continue their work.
District rules on threats and off-campus conduct
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ code of student conduct lays out a range of disciplinary responses for threats and violent behavior, from in-school suspension to exclusion from extracurricular activities and reassignment, according to the district handbook on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The policy notes that students can be disciplined for off-campus conduct that has a direct impact on the school environment. Ridge Road Middle School serves grades 6–8 in the Highland Creek area and is part of the district’s online profile on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Families wait for answers as officials stress safety
CMPD told reporters the investigation is ongoing, and school leaders said there is no further threat to the campus at this time. Families who still have concerns are being directed to school administrators and the district’s safety resources while investigators sort the facts. School officials did not announce any timeline for when the investigation might wrap up or whether disciplinary or criminal charges will result.
