Cobb County

Parents upset they weren't notified sooner about potential school threat

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Police are investigating two school threats in Cobb County less than 24 hours and 3 miles apart.

A Hillgrove High School student is accused of making terroristic threats not long after a social media threat was made against McEachern High School saying a student would shoot up the school.

"If somebody threatened to shoot up your school, wouldn't you want to stay home?" one McEachern student told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose.

A mother was so concerned about the threat posted to Instagram that she took out her cellphone and started recording the commotion involving parents and faculty in the front office of the school Thursday.

The mother shared the video with Jose.

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Students said the Instagram post quickly spread Wednesday night, but parents weren’t notified until Thursday morning with a text message alert calling the incident a “rumored threat.”

“A lot of kids got picked up out of school today,” a student told Jose. “Parents are really scared about it.”

While interviewing students at McEachern, Jose learned from police sources about a threat at nearby Hillgrove High School.

Police arrested Andre Lewis, 18, for allegedly threatening a school officer Wednesday. Investigators said Lewis became irate because he was suspended from school after he allegedly stole something from another student.

“Every threat, you need to take seriously now. After what happened in Florida, Sandy Hook, there’s so much. You don’t know who’s joking, who’s not,” student Donavin Cleland told Jose.

Lewis is facing several charges, including terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.