Fairfax County police have determined that a threat on social media involving a potential shooting at Glasgow Middle School was unfounded, the latest in a growing trend that has families, schools and law enforcement nationwide on edge.
Glasgow administrators first alerted parents via text around 8:45 a.m. that a social media threat was being shared around the school, prompting them to call the police and other agencies for an investigation.
A parent told FFXnow that the police presence at the school was “fairly big,” and some parents had gone to the school looking to pick up their kids early after receiving the texts about the threat.
However, in the texts, Glasgow officials advised families not to come to the school, stating that they were “working to resolve this situation as quickly as possible with safety as our focus.”
“Additional security is on-site as law enforcement continues investigating the anonymous social media post,” the school said in one update. “Students are in the building learning.”
A Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson and the Fairfax County Police Department say the threat “was deemed not credible” by the investigating officers. Glasgow Middle School notified families of the determination around 11:20 a.m., thanking them for their “trust and partnership.”
This isn’t the first time that Glasgow has grappled with concerns about violence that ultimately proved unfounded. In April 2023, a fight between students led to rumors that someone was planning to bring a gun to the Lincolnia school.
The school also got a threat last week, but officials didn’t share the same level of detail with families as they did today, according to the Glasgow parent, who praised the school for providing updates on the situation.
“As soon as the all clear was shared, admin came out and encouraged parents waiting to get their students to consider leaving,” she told FFXnow by email.
Glasgow Middle School is far from alone in having to navigate often social media-fueled threats of violence against schools. In nearby Alexandria City, the police department said it had investigated multiple unfounded threats, including one that briefly sent Alexandria City High School into lockdown mode.
Stretching from Baltimore to Chicago and Florida, the recent spike in hoax threats appears to have started in the wake of the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia that killed two teachers and two students. Since then, more than 700 people have been arrested on allegations of making violent threats against schools in at least 45 states, the New York Times reported.
In a joint statement with Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, FCPS said that it too has been dealing with the “worrying issue.”
“These posts can cause fear and disruption and are particularly upsetting to our community in light of the recent school shooting in Georgia,” FCPS said in the statement released on Friday (Sept. 27). “Not only do these threatening posts bring anxiety and trauma into our buildings, but they also distract educators from our mission. No child can learn and no teacher can be effective if they do not feel safe.”
The FCPD’s Threat Assessment Management Unit, which launched last fall, has traced some threats to individuals with no connection to Fairfax County, but some have been made by people in the local community, according to FCPS.
FCPS and Davis noted that perpetrators can face criminal charges and urged parents to talk to their children about how to use social media responsibly.
The full joint statement is below.
An increase in hoax social media threats is a worrying issue that schools across the United States are currently navigating, including those of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
These posts can cause fear and disruption and are particularly upsetting to our community in light of the recent school shooting in Georgia. Not only do these threatening posts bring anxiety and trauma into our buildings, but they also distract educators from our mission. No child can learn and no teacher can be effective if they do not feel safe.
In our County, we are grateful for the close working partnership that exists between FCPS and the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). FCPD’s Threat Assessment Management Unit (TAM), a new and industry-leading specialty unit, responds and investigates each time schools report a threat. While some threats have been traced to those outside our county with no connection to Fairfax, others stemmed from within our community. As County leaders, let us be clear that we quickly identify those who make these threats, and those individuals face serious consequences including the very real possibility of criminal charges. What may be regarded as a joke can damage a young person’s future.
Today, we are asking for the help of our community, so our educators and police officers can focus on the business of educating our children and keeping our community safe. Please have a conversation with your children about making good decisions around the use of social media. Know what social media accounts your child has set up, what platforms they are using, and what they are posting, especially on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. Remind them that if they see something, it is their responsibility to say something whether to a trusted adult, through the anonymous FCPS tip line, or calling 911.
Our schools are at the heart of our communities, and we have a shared interest in their safety and success.
