RCSD closes Cardinal Newman HS case, no students facing charges

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) — The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has closed the case of the investigation into a Cardinal Newman student who threatened to shoot his peers in a text message chain with friends.

On August 19, 2019, investigators closed the case after speaking with 12 of the 13 juveniles involved in the text chain and determining the school is under no threat from those students.

The investigation revealed not all the students involved in the text chain were classmates; some attended other school in the Midlands.

Those schools will not be identified by the police department, however the principal of each school was notified.

Investigators say unless new information surfaces, no arrests or additional charges are pending at this time. Investigators also interviewed the teen who shot the video and that teen will not be facing any charges.

The investigation was able to reveal that the teen expelled made the derogatory slurs video about African Americans on July 13, but made the threat to shoot up the school on May 21.

Without a hate crime law, no charges can be filed against the students for failing to notify the school or parents of the videos.

South Carolina is one of the four states that does not have a law that addresses incidents of hate motivated by race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender or gender identity.

“Without any kind of legislation,  we will continue to spin our wheels,” Sheriff Lott said. “Something needs to get done sooner rather than later, before a real threat emerges and tragedy strikes our state again.”

Although no real threat is imminent to Cardinal Newman’s campus, Richland County deputies will be at the school as students return on Tuesday.