15-year-old student charged after posting threat against Spotsylvania County high school

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Increased police presence at Spotsylvania high school after social media threat posted online

A Virginia community is on edge after a social media threat was made to students at Riverbend High School.

A 15-year-old student has been charged after posting a threat on social media holding a rifle and referencing a Spotsylvania County high school.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office says they were notified of the social media threat referencing a school with the initials RHS on Saturday.

An investigation began and identified a Riverbend High School student who posted the threat on social media. The threat was deemed not credible, meaning it was not capable of developing.

Increased police presence at Spotsylvania high school after social media threat posted online

A Virginia community is on edge after a social media threat was made to students at Riverbend High School.

After reviewing the case with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, the 15-year-old student was charged on Tuesday with felony threats of death or bodily injury to persons on school property. 

The student was incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Juvenile Detection Center.

"Every threat must be taken seriously," says Sheriff Roger Harris. "Threats of violence is no laughing matter and even if students believe a threat is a joke, they should let an adult know rather than reposting or sharing images on social media. Doing so creates an undue panic and stress for students, parents and faculty."