Man arrested for making alleged threats against Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WOLO) – Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said a man has been arrested in connection to threats against an area high school.

The name of the 24-year-old man has not been released.

“This will not be tolerated for one second,” Ravenell said. “Once this type of threat was made, we began searching for the one who made it. After the horrific incident involving a fatal school shooting last week in Florida, this made this type of threat even more heinous.”

Ravenell said that around 2 p.m. Tuesday a Facebook post was brought to the attention of investigators as well as Orangeburg County Consolidated School District 5 officials.

The sheriff said that OCSO investigators, the United States Secret Service agents, and US Marshals began immediately searching for the perpetrator who made a social media post that threatened to “shoot up OW TOMORROW 725 AM?”

“We’ve been tracking this individual and searching his most visited locations throughout the county since a few minutes after the threat was received,” the sheriff said. “We finally located him around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.”

Although the threat was ended with the apprehension of the suspect, deputies were still sent to Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School Wednesday morning to reassure parents, students, and school staff that they were well protected.

“We don’t believe there is any further threat,” Ravenell said. “This individual acted alone.”

A bond hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.