Police respond to three Lowcountry schools for reports of weapon, threats

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WTOC) - Police responded to three schools in the Lowcountry on Thursday for reports of a weapon on campus or threats.

According to the Beaufort Police Department, officers responded to Beaufort High School for the second day in a row.

Police said no threats were made and no one saw a weapon. A student reported the situation feeling uneasy. Police say they searched a student about 100 yards off campus and found nothing. That student was detained but has been released.

Multiple agencies responded to Beaufort High School on Wednesday for a false active shooter report. The FBI is now involved in that investigation as several school districts across South Carolina responded to hoax calls on the same day.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to Battery Creek High School on Thursday morning for a report of a weapon on campus.

The sheriff’s office said the 14-year-old who was said to have the weapon was located on campus. He was not found in possession of a weapon when deputies spoke to him. However, the sheriff’s office said that the investigation revealed the student was in possession of a firearm at school the day prior.

The student has been detained at the Department of Juvenile Justice and is being petitioned to Family Court for possession of a firearm on school property.

The sheriff’s office also responded to Whale Branch Middle School on Thursday afternoon for reports of a threat. The sheriff’s office said the call to the school originated from outside the area. The school was searched as a precaution.

The lockdown was lifted and deputies remained at the school until all students were dismissed.