Ware Shoals schools receive threats
Rodney L. Rogers Jr.
Law enforcement officers from Laurens, Greenwood, Abbeville and Ware Shoals were on hand Tuesday morning as the bell rang for classes at Ware Shoals District 51 Schools.
For the second time in a matter of days, threats of violence were made against the schools online. Three people are now under arrest in the Greenwood County Detention Center.
Rodney Rogers, 27, was arrested by Greenwood Sheriff’s Deputies and Ware Shoals police over the weekend. He was charged with breach of peace in a high and aggravated nature, threatening the life of a public officer, assault, disturbing school and unlawful communications with an electronic device.
Rogers’ post on social media was verified on WYFF-TV website. It read:
“I am going to do something worse than sandyhook and columbine combined. I’m tired of being mentally controlled by all these meds and I’m tired of people hating me and treating me like (expletive). I’m going to give people a reason to hate me. Watch out ware shoals”.
Leon Kay and April Green, of Ware Shoals, face similar charges after social-media post that indicated threats via social media last week. Both were arrested after midnight in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Ware Shoals Police Chief Harry Irick said no weapons were found in either arrest, but he also has found no clear-cut motives behind any of the threats.
“My goal as chief was to get these people in custody prior to school even starting, and we were successful in doing that,” Irick said.
“We really don’t know what brought this on – both people charged live here and they have (relatives) in the school system, so I just don’t know. . . . Maybe they were testing our reaction. I don’t know what he was doing.”
Though Ware Shoals Schools District 51 is part of the Greenwood school system, Ware Shoals itself sits along the Saluda River in parts of three counties – Greenwood, Laurens and Abbeville – causing the need for the joint operation among local law enforcement.
“It worked out really good,” Irick said. “The Greenwood deputies came down and assisted us in the arrest of the male subject (Monday). This morning Greenwood and Laurens were at the schools, making their presence known.
“We’ve got a lot of very upset school administrators and librarians and parents, so a presence has just about got to be there.”
Irick said an increased police present is planned for the rest of the week.
“We’re going to do the best we can with it,” he said.
