VIRGINIA BEACH – An internet chat threatening violence at a middle school alarmed a student so much he called for help.

Video: Student charged with threatening violence at Beach school

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Police investigators were called around 9:00 p.m. Thursday about the instant messages between two teens.

In them, police say, the 13-year-old allegedly said he’d bring a gun and knife to Kempsville Middle School to harm students.

The other student said he tried to talk him out of doing it and then told a teacher, who alerted the principal. The police then were called, according to school officials.

"Sometimes it could be a joke, but sometimes it could be real," said 7th grader Melanie Howell. "It's always good to be prepared for it."

Officers went to the teen’s home and arrested him on one count of electronically communicated threats to commit serious bodily harm on school property. 

The boy also faces disciplinary action from the school system that could include expulsion.

A letter about the incident is being sent home to parents today, school officials added.

LETTER TO PARENTS:

Dear Kempsville Middle School Parents and Guardians:

I would like to make you aware of a recent incident that has been addressed by both the school administration and the police. I am sharing this information with you because I believe that parents need to be partners with us to help ensure a safe school environment. Undoubtedly that partnership works best when we share information and work cooperatively.

Last night, around 8:30 p.m., a staff member informed me of a threat made by a Kempsville Middle School student via instant messaging. The gist of that message was that the student intended to cause physical harm to our students and staff today. I, in turn, alerted the police who took immediate investigative action. You should know the end result of that investigation is that police have charged a Kempsville Middle student with one count of issuing “electronic threats to do serious bodily injury on school property.” At this writing, the student is being held in the Virginia Beach Juvenile Detention Center pending a court hearing.

I would like to make an important point here. The teacher who became aware of the threat was alerted to it by a student who did the right thing. Once the student heard about the threat, that individual told a responsible adult. Obviously, we are extremely proud of this student. I am hopeful that as parents you will encourage your children to adopt this mindset. Please remind them that if they become aware of a threat, their first response should not be to forward the threat around or advance rumors, but rather to alert school administration and/or the police so that it can be dealt with quickly and decisively. The goal of Kempsville Middle School’s staff is to foster an atmosphere where students feel free to come to us if they become aware of a threat to student safety.

Please know that we fully intend to take disciplinary action against those who make threats or who participate in behavior specifically designed to disrupt the school day. Any student communicating a written, oral or electronic threat to cause bodily harm against any person at a school event or school-related event could be recommended for expulsion. This recent incident also underscores the fact police will investigate and subsequent charges are a likely outcome.

Again, your partnership is crucial in ensuring that Kempsville Middle is always a safe and inviting school

Sincerely,

Jim Smith

Principal