Carrboro Police Department said a student reported seeing a post surface on Snapchat of another student holding a handgun with language indicating the students who attended the school would be in danger on Thursday. Authorities said a second threat suggested the student had access to additional weapons.
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Upon investigation, the Carrboro Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Department conducted a search warrant on a home located off of Smith Level Road.
Deputies found a handgun, 17 glass jars containing 380 grams of marijuana.
Orontes Rogers, 38, the father of the student shown in the school threat, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon; maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for use, storage, or sale of controlled substances; felony possession of marijuana; and failure to store a firearm to protect a minor. Rogers is now being held on a $30,000 bond.
An investigation further revealed that the student holding the gun in the photo had posted the image to Snapchat several days prior to the threat. Another student happened to save the photo and add the threatening language and included the name of the student holding the weapon.
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"This was a situation where a student exhibited extremely poor judgment by posting a photo of himself holding a weapon on social media. Another student compounded the problem by modifying that photo and generating a threat of school violence," said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood. "Social media is a powerful tool for connecting people, but it is also a dangerous tool when used inappropriately, which is certainly what happened here today. And the father's failure to properly secure the weapon led to these events."
"A school safety threat obviously represents a danger to the students and staff at the threatened school. Even when the threat turns out to be a hoax, the community experiences increased anxiety, school attendance suffers, and frightened parents flood the roadways attempting to get to their children," said Carrboro Police Chief Walter Horton.
Charges are still pending for the second student who remains unnamed by authorities.