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Increased police presence at Cedar Shoals after potential threat of gun violence


By Joe Johnson

Students arrived at Cedar Shoals High School Friday morning to find a heavy police presence due to a possible threat of gun violence.

Principal Derrick Maxwell notified parents in a 9:15 a.m. email that extra police were on campus because school officials became aware late Thursday night of a social media post “referencing an incident that was going to take place at Cedar Shoals.”

School officials immediately notified the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, which determined the threat of a gang shootout at the school was a ‘repost of a repost’ from months back,” Maxwell said in the email.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we requested additional law enforcement presence on our campus today,” the principal said.

Concern about the shootout post came two days after an upset student threatened gun violence prior to being escorted out of a classroom.

Police subsequently filed a juvenile complaint charging the 14-year-old girl with making a terroristic threat.

In his Friday email Maxwell said, “I will reiterate that this week, we have had a small number of students who have disrupted our learning environment. These situations were amplified and made more difficult by social media posts (from students as well as adults.) It is imperative that we, as a school community, work together to ensure that we have the same expectations for all students that enter our school.

“We need the support of parents to keep the lines of communication open,” Maxwell said. “It is essential that you inform us of any issues that may need to be addressed before students engage in behaviors that can lead to suspension from school and/or additional disciplinary actions.”

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