Warrant: Panther Creek High School student threatened to shoot classmates
CARY, NC (WTVD) -- A Wake County high school student is accused of threatening to shoot a group of classmates.
Search warrants released on Tuesday show 17-year-old Panther Creek High School student Kenneth Halker problems began Monday Oct. 5 when was arrested for allegedly assaulting a girl in the cafeteria.
The warrants allege that on Tuesday, Halker texted a male student with a message that read: "You're number 5 on my list".
He is then accused of sending the same student various messages about filling his body with bullets. Police say Halker then took to social medial and stated he was going to "come back into Panther Creek High School with his .45 and fill bodies with bullets". The warrant also shows Halker mentions having a hit list.
Police say Halker then used Snapchat to upload an image with two AR-15 assault rifles surrounded with multiple piles of ammunition containing pistol, rifle, and shotgun rounds as well as a ballistic vest with rifle ammunition pouches and knives. Posted below the image is the comment "Hahaha did ya'll think this was a game? Plz take a step".
At 2:15 a.m. last Thursday, Cary Police, with help from the Wake County Sheriff's Office, went to Halker's Apex home to arrest him.
They interviewed Halker's father who confirmed to having firearms in the home but told them they were locked up and did not believe his son knew the passcode to get to them. Police also confirm that the weapons Halker's father owns and the weapons that were posted to social media were not the same. They are investigating the possibility he may have just taken pictures from the Internet. Officers took Halker's phone but did not find anything on it.
When interviewed, they say Kenneth stated he was jumped by the five males that were threatened and on his hit list. He also told police he has been very depressed lately and felt like it was him against the world.
Police say they did not find a physical hit list or any other weapons in the home.
Halker is charged with communicating threats which is a misdemeanor. He has a court date schedule for November 10.
Police confirm Halker has been suspended. As far as how long, Wake County Schools would not comment on Halker specifically. Federal laws keep them from being able to do that. They did refer to the student handbook and point out that generally more severe violations result in a recommendation for long-term suspension.
The silence from WCPSS has caused tension of its own; dozens of Facebook posts from parents have blasted the school and the school district for not doing more.
And Wednesday, students told us they feel the same way.
"They didn't tell us much," one freshman said. "They didn't really tell us much of anything at all."
"There have been so many school shootings," said another. "I'm really surprised the school didn't tell us about it. Let me know. Let me know what's going on. If there are threats, whether they're super serious or not, just let me know what's going on."
Arrest records show this isn't the first time Halker has been in trouble with the law. In June of this year, he was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
