Student makes threat to Hillcrest Middle School

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Increased law enforcement at Hillcrest Middle School on Friday morning is because of a student who made an alleged threat against the school.

An investigation by Sumter County Sheriff’s Office revealed a student, who has since been identified, made a comment to another student on Thursday. That student told a parent, and emails were exchanged between parents that there was an alleged threat against the school, according to Ken Bell, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.

The student reportedly admitted to making the statement but claimed it was about something else, Bell said in a news release.

"Unfortunately, any time there is a report of a threat, we must take it seriously," Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said. "This is dangerous because it ties up law enforcement assets that could be used to try to solve and prevent real crimes."

Dennis said his agency's top priority is "the safety of everyone involved," so the increased law enforcement presence at the school was out of an abundance of caution.

"Thankfully, this was not a credible threat and no student, teacher or member of the public was ever in any danger."

Dennis praised the quick action of the school district once the threat was discovered.
"Sumter School District acted swiftly and cooperated with us in every way to assure the safety of all students, teachers and administrators," he said.

Shelly Galloway, spokeswoman for the school district, said the district received a message on social media about the potential threat.

"The student responsible for making this threat will face disciplinary action in accordance with the Sumter School District Code of Conduct," she said. "Our first and most important priority is the safety of our students and staff. We take all potential threats very seriously, and we are thankful to law enforcement for their quick and vigilant response."