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Law Enforcement Says They Take All School Threats Seriously

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - With threats and rumors of threats being made at multiple schools in the Midlands Friday morning, it left many parents and students on edge.

"I can't even imagine. I don't want to even think about it. I can't," said Watson.

Natasha Watson was at a loss of words at the thought that something could happen to her child after a threat was made to Westwood High school.

"We just saw what happened on Wednesday. I can't that that risk. She's my only. I can't deal with it," said Watson.

Richland County deputies arrested a suspect in connection to a threat against Westwood High School Friday.

Deputies say Kamron Hilliard, 17, made a Twitter post threatening to shoot up the high school.

Hilliard reportedly turned himself in and is charged as an adult with unlawful communication and disturbing schools. He is booked at Richland County Detention Center.

After the Richland County Sheriff's Department investigated the threat, they and the district say they believe that there was no credible threat to the safety of the kids.

Another parent, Yolanda Hughes, says she still felt like she needed to take her kids out of school.

"I had to come pick them up. I was very scared. It's something that's going around the nation. I want to be there for my kids when they need me. So they wanted to come out of school so I got them," said Hughes.

"For a parent, that would be the epitome of Dante's Inferno. Pure Hell," said Foster.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says he understands the concern parents can have for their children in a threat situation.

He says they take every threat seriously and no threat is a joke.

"You can set a chain of events into happening that could cause a life. Response by law enforcement agency, kids trying to get away, teacher may be having a heart attack. You do that, you're responsible for all of that as well,” said Foster.

Sheriff Foster says if you see something, even online, you need to notify law enforcement immediately.

"Unless it's something they think it's something that's going to happen right in the immediate future, they need to call their local sheriff’s office or police department and let them know about it so a process can be done to track that down," said Foster.

If you do in fact believe that there’s an immediate danger, you should call 9-1-1 immediately.

Foster says that he thinks every school should have a school resource officer.

“You got to have those people in the school. I know it’s tough for the schools to say, ‘Do I hire a math teacher or do I hire a police officer,’ Well there’s other ways you can do that. We can find money for a lot of things in this country but somehow another we can’t find enough money to provide security for our children? I think we need to reevaluate and I think we need to refocus,” explained Foster.

For more information about the other school in the area that experienced a threat Friday morning, click here.

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