CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What looked like a social media threat against a local high school spread like crazy over the weekend, but after investigators dug into it, it wasn't what it seemed.
The reported threat was made against West Mecklenburg High School in west Charlotte.
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Police said they identified the student in the photo and the student did not make any threats. They also said the gun was found and it is an airsoft rifle, not a firearm.
In the picture, it shows a young person holding a gun with the caption "West Meck don't come to school Monday."
There was no school Monday for Labor Day.
Officials said the photo was not taken at a school. The student legally posed for the picture and afterwards, an unknown suspect took the picture, added the caption and posted it.
But, it spread like wildfire and frightened a lot of parents and students including one mother who contacted Channel 9's education reporter Elsa Gillis.
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She said she was terrified to send her daughter to school Tuesday morning and would like to see more conversation around even non-credible threats.
"I don't know what to do," the mother said. "I've never been in this situation and there, my daughter went to school and I'm physically not OK with it."
In a statement, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said safety is a top priority for the district and local law enforcement found the threat not-credible.
"Law enforcement has thoroughly investigated and determined that a social media threat mentioning West Mecklenburg High School is not credible. Safety is top priority at CMS."
Dr. Anita Blanchard is a professor of psychological science at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and said a conversation about what's going on, when being scared is appropriate, is so important as we navigate this climate.
"I think it affects all of us. I think we're all living through a pretty tender moment right now," Blanchard said. "Talking is the most important thing so if the children are struggling, I would encourage them to talk to the counselor or physician. It has an affect. I think we see it even if we're trying to keep our children innocent."
Blanchard said we also need to be cautious about what we share on social media. She said the research is struggling to catch up about the spreading of misinformation and why people are doing things like this.
It is unclear if police have any suspects for who wrote the caption.