The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office on Friday was notified that two male students at the Villages Charter Middle School were overheard making concerning statements of violence. Deputies immediately responded and investigated. The investigation concluded there was no credible threat of violence to students or the school.
“Thankfully, this was merely a misunderstanding of an overheard conversation about a video game,” The Villages Charter School administration said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to always be careful about discussions of this nature at school. Working together we can continue to make our schools the safest possible.”
The sheriff’s office said it takes threats to schools “very seriously” and all threats will be “thoroughly investigated.”
In 2017, a Columbine-style shooting plot was foiled at The Villages Charter School.