COVINGTON, Ga. — Sheriff's deputies are investigating an apparent threat against Eastside High School posted on social media.
As a result, Eastside will see an increased police presence today, Dec. 15, said Newton County School System spokesperson Sherri Partee.
School administrators were made aware Tuesday, Dec. 14, of a social media post "that was a cause for concern," Partee said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, they notified local law enforcement at once," she said.
"As they are conducting an investigation into this matter, parents and students may see an increased presence of law enforcement on campus (today)," she said.
A reader sent The Covington News an image of a social media post that included a photo of a handgun and a warning not to go to Eastside High School today.
He said he forwarded the post to Eastside Principal Jeff Cher and told Cher students were sharing the post on phones throughout the school.
Another person, who identified herself as a parent of a student, also wrote on Facebook about the warning.
The Facebook user also claimed — without providing proof — that firearms generally are more prevalent than believed in Newton County schools and the school system needs to be more proactive in addressing the problem by installing such equipment as metal detectors.
School officials nationwide have become more attuned to threats in recent years after shootings on school grounds increased as firearms became more prevalent in society.
A total of 31 shootings on school properties, including 23 since Aug. 1, have been reported this year and 89 school shootings since 2018 in the U.S., according to the publication Education Week.
A 15-year-old student is accused of using a semi-automatic handgun to shoot and kill four fellow students and injure seven at a high school near Detroit, Michigan, Nov. 30.
His parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter after they were accused of giving the teen a semi-automatic handgun as an early Christmas present and then ignoring signs he was planning the shooting.
