Detectives with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office have charged a high school student with communicating threats.
Austin Ray Collins, 17, of Southport, was charged with two counts of communicating threats in connection with an alleged incident that occurred on Wednesday, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Emily Flax.
According to arrest warrants, Collins is charged with communicating a threat to two separate students, stating on two occasions that he would “shoot up” the school. Collins is a senior at South Brunswick High School, Jessica Swencki, spokeswoman for the school district, said.
A parent overheard her child talking with another friend about the threats at a basketball game at Brunswick Community College Wednesday night. The mother contacted the sheriff”s office and the on-call detective initiated an investigation “right away,” Flax said.
Collins was arrested and booked at the Brunswick County Detention Facility at about 10:45 p.m. Thursday, Flax said. He was issued no bond under a custody release. No weapon found on the student.
“While student privacy laws prohibit the release of any student specific information regarding educational or disciplinary records, the Brunswick County Schools Student Code of Conduct is clear: The Board will not tolerate assaults, threats, or harrassments from any student. Any student engaging in such behavior will be removed from the classroom or school environment for as long as necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning,'” Swencki said.
