FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — A Reagan High School student has been charged with ethnic intimidation after authorities said the juvenile posted racially motivated threats on social media while displaying what appeared to be an assault rifle.
Personnel with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Division at Reagan High School received information about the posts around 11:29 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28.
Investigators identified the juvenile as a Reagan High School student and began an investigation. The sheriff’s office said the rifle depicted in the social media post was later located and seized at the juvenile’s residence.
The juvenile’s identity was not released because of the student’s age.
The sheriff’s office contacted the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, and a secure custody order was issued charging the juvenile with ethnic intimidation, a Class 1 misdemeanor under North Carolina law.
The juvenile was taken to a juvenile detention center in Guilford County. A first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31.
Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. thanked District Attorney Jim O’Neill, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and federal partners for their involvement in the response.
“It is a collaborative effort that is effective in keeping us safe,” Kimbrough said.
The sheriff’s office said it takes threats of violence seriously and works with school officials and juvenile justice authorities to address threats involving schools and the community.
