Beaufort County school district quells rumor of Beaufort High School shooter

Parents of Beaufort High School students received a call from the Beaufort County School District on Friday to quell a rumor that a shooter had been at the school earlier this week.

The rumor stemmed from an incident that happened Wednesday when a student posted a photo on Snapchat that was “ambiguous and non-specific,” according to Beaufort County School District spokesman Jim Foster.

The photo, according to Officer Hope Able of the Beaufort Police Department, said hashtag “school shooter.” Able declined to identify the student.

Foster said that it was hard to tell if the photo was making any kind of threat, and the student was identified and will be dealt with from the school’s perspective based on its code of conduct.

On Friday, the photo was shared by students and parents and the rumor gained a “second wind,” Foster said. Some parents arrived to pick their children up believing the rumor was true.

“There was never any evidence that any students were in danger,” Foster said.

The school district made an automated call to parents notifying them that there is no threat and that the incident has been investigated and handled.

The school also made the same announcement to students on Friday, Foster said.

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Beaufort County school district quells rumor of Beaufort High School shooter."