Police back at PG school campus one day after online threats; student is arrested

PRINCE GEORGE – Police believe a 13-year-old is responsible for threatening a school shooting Thursday that never came to pass but sent fear and concern through the school community.

The boy, who was not identified because he is a juvenile, has been charged with two counts of threatening death or bodily injury.

Two threats were made on Instagram Thursday against J.E.J. Moore Middle School. The first one, written in all lower-case letters, read, “i will be shooting up jej moore on february first at 8:30.”

A second message in all capital letters and no punctuation was posted later Thursday morning stating that nothing was going to happen at least on that day. This one read, “YALL LUCKY IMA BE BACK TMR [tomorrow]” and specifically threatened a school guidance counselor.

Prince George school superintendent Dr. Lisa Pennycuff said Moore Middle was put under a “secure-in-place" status while county police and school security searched the building. The threat was made shortly after school opened at 7 a.m.

“Within approximately three hours of the reporting, the person responsible for the threats was identified and arrested,” Prince George Police Officer Alexis Grochmal said in an email. The secure-in-place status was lifted around 10:40 a.m. and classes resumed.

In a statement, Pennycuff said additional police and security officers were on the Moore campus Friday even though the threat was no more. “We want to do everything possible to ensure our students and staff feel safe when at school,” she said.

Parents were notified several times by Moore school administration – once at around 8:10 a.m. moments after the threat was issued, a follow-up message when classes resumed at 10:40 a.m., and two more that afternoon and evening with updates on the investigation.

Parents took to a “Prince George Schools Watch” Facebook page to react to the situation. One parent wrote, “My daughter is terrified, and I don’t know how to help her.” Others posted about the line of cars around the school where parents were picking up their kids.

Police said the juvenile suspect was released into his parents’ custody Friday.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Teen charged with online threats against Prince George middle school