UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: The Roanoke Police Department released new information Friday about the recent threats against Preston Park Elementary School, saying that a 10-year-old boy was involved.
Police say they have sought petitions against the boy for threats to harm others at a school, which is a class six felony, and threats to damage a school building, which is a class one misdemeanor.
Authorities tell WFXR News they plan to serve the petitions pending the child’s release from psychiatric medical care.
“We want to thank all of the Roanoke Police Officers, Roanoke Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Roanoke City Public Schools staff, and community members who assisted us in this investigation thus far,” the Roanoke Police Department said in a statement on Friday, June 3. “We greatly appreciate your commitment to helping us keep the schools in Roanoke safe.”
Our office has received calls and emails regarding the most recent event at Preston Park. Shortly before 5PM today, the Roanoke City Police Department issued a statement. In conjunction with their statement, we want the community to know as a department we are committed to the safety of all within our school system. We will continue to collaborate with the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke City Public Schools and any other entity or person to ensure this remains the case.
Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office
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ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Star City school officials have issued a statement in response to misinformation circulating online regarding a possible threat made against an elementary school on Wednesday.
Roanoke City Public Schools says that info about a potential threat at Preston Park Elementary School was posted on social media on Thursday, June 2, resulting in the spread of misinformation about how the incident was handled.
According to the district, school official and law enforcement identified and handled the threat immediately.
In addition, Preston Park families and staff were reportedly notified about the potential threat in a robocall on Wednesday, June 1.
We take very seriously our responsibility to protect our students and student information but be assured that all details related to this potential threat have been shared with and addressed by law enforcement. Due to our obligation to adhere to student privacy laws and to cooperate with law enforcement’s investigation, additional details related to this threat cannot be shared publicly. It is important to note, however, that we are not aware of any continuing threat related to this incident.
Statement shared on Facebook by Roanoke City Public Schools on June 2, 2022.
When a Facebook user commented on the district’s post, asking why so many parents were unaware about the incident, Roanoke City Public Schools replied by saying, “All Preston Park parents/guardians were sent a robocall. We encourage families who do not believe they received a call to first check their voicemail. If they did not receive any notification, we encourage families to please contact the school to ensure we have the correct phone number on file.”
