KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A Kannapolis student is off the hook for posting about shooting up his high school because he said it was a joke.
A North Carolina appeals court ruled to dismiss the criminal case against that student.
The case revolves around a Snapchat post by an AL Brown High School student in September of 2022 that said in part, “Im’ma shoot up AL Brown … It is a joke. I do not nor have I ever owned a gun. Thank you. Pls don’t report me.”
Local grandparent Alfreda Richardson said she does not agree with the court’s decision.
“I don’t take that lightly,” Richardson said. “It was not a joke as far as I’m concerned.”
Snapchat flagged the post as containing a threat of mass violence, according to court documents.
Police were notified and the state filed a criminal case in juvenile court alleging the student made a false report concerning mass violence on educational property and communicating a threat to commit an act of mass violence on educational property.
A trial judge denied the student’s request to dismiss the case.
However, the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the dismissal this week saying the state didn’t provide enough evidence to prove it was a credible threat.
“How do we know that you’re not serious?” Richardson said. “And then my grandkids or other kids at risk, that is something that should never be taken lightly on any social media app.”
Richardson said because of posts like that, she has had talks with her grandkids about reporting social media posts.
“If they see something, report it,” she said. “I tell them all the time, don’t be afraid. It’s your life, and we want you here. So, if you see something, you say something.”
A Kannapolis City Schools spokesperson said as a general policy, the district does not comment on individual student matters and has no comment on the decision of the court in the case.
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