This evening, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office issued this press release:

This afternoon, Lenoir County Public Schools notified our Office of a school violence threat at E.B. Frink Middle School in La Grange. School Officials had immediately acted upon receiving the threat to identify the source. School staff and Deputies investigated and determined the threat to be a hoax after interviews with the source and others involved. School officials have taken action against the student who made the hoax threat.

Sheriff Ronnie Ingram stated, "The safety of our children in all of our schools is a top priority of our Office and Lenoir County Public Schools. We fully support the actions of the Principal and the Superintendent in this matter. Based on the investigation and the actions of our school system, we believe there is no credible threat against the students or the school."

The Sheriff's Office will continue the investigation of this incident with assistance from the NC State Bureau of Investigations Behavioral Threat Assessment Unit.