Richmond Hill police late Tuesday night arrested the person they believe is responsible for threats made against Richmond Hill High School Monday and Tuesday.
A 17-year-old male is listed as an inmate on the Bryan County Jail website with a felony charge of “terroristic threats and acts.” He was logged in at 12:38 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“Detectives along with the FBI worked diligently through the night following leads that we received from many sources. As a result, an arrest was made last night in relation to the situation at RHHS,” the Richmond Hill Police Department said in a statement Wednesday morning.
“The investigation is still ongoing and resources will continue to be allocated to the schools,” the statement continued. “RHPD staff is remaining in contact with school administrators and will continue to do so. This investigation is fluid and there are many tasks that we are conducting. We understand everyone's concern for the safety of our children and the security of our schools and we appreciate everyone's patience.”
Several comments on the RHPD Facebook page late Tuesday referenced an arrest of an employee at a fast food restaurant on U.S. 17 near I-95, but were then deleted when the original poster deleted his comment.
An Instagram user named "awaiting28" posted photos Tuesday night showing two police officers in front of the high school with a red circle drawn around them and the message "Just wait until they're gone." Another photo showed the original threat, found Monday in a restroom, with the caption "You think I will stop."
The account, now titled "bobsburgers010203," which has since been made private, looks to be a reference to Feb. 28, Wednesday, which was the date mentioned in the original threat.
That threat quickly began making the rounds on social media late Monday. It read "I'm done. Don't come to school the 28th or they'll (sic) be consequences. I warned you."
Bryan County Schools sent a text alert Tuesday evening that said "Update: We are aware of the recent Instagram post, and we continue to take this incident very seriously. RHPD has been in contact with school officials throughout the day. The investigation is ongoing. Additional police resources have been allocated to RHHS as a precaution.
Earlier Tuesday, it was announced that RHHS would have classes Wednesday.
"We appreciate your patience as we continue to investigate the threat," the announcement said. "School administrators are working closely with RHPD, and we have taken additional safety measures. School will be in session tomorrow as planned, to include all scheduled extracurricular/athletic events and practices. As always, thank you for your cooperation and support."
A Facebook post from the RHPD said it had modified its security plans at the school and met with district officials. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at (912) 756-5645.
While there are usually two school resource officers at RHHS, there were at least a half dozen police officers patrolling the school Tuesday, including one who was spotted in full riot gear. Several parents arrived at the school Tuesday morning after classes had begun to sign their children out, and several indicated on social media that their students would not be attending Wednesday.