HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. — A juvenile is in custody days after officials in Harlan County, Ky. said they responded to reports of a "hit list" posted on social media that caused disruptions at Harlan County High School, but originally the threat was reported to be an "extreme exaggeration."
A high school student has been charged with 26 separate counts of second degree terroristic threatening after the Harlan County Sheriff's Office investigated new claims it received from students about the incident Monday.
On Monday, HCHS administration was made aware of a list of student names without a title circulating within the school and identified the student who wrote it, according to officials.
Harlan County Public Schools said school administration did a formal threat assessment on the student following state and district protocol out of an abundance of caution.
Another student got a copy of the list and put it on social media stating that it could be a “hit list," according to officials.
Originally, the school system said "there was never a threat" and that the student who made the list reportedly told administrators “that he had simply written the names of students he didn’t like and had crossed out some of the names as they had started being nicer to him.”
On Wednesday morning, Harlan County Public Schools said the School Resource Officers, Safe Schools Director, sheriff’s department and school administrators had “thoroughly followed up” on the reported threats and at the time said they found all to be “false or extreme exaggerations that are being made by a few students in an attempt to cause fear.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the district then said it was “under the impression that many of the students were purposely circulating these rumors” and that it was "consuming an inordinate amount of law enforcement time and resources."
However, on Friday the school system and sheriff's department announced a student had been arrested for threats, and commended students for coming forward, saying it was "as school officials have urged students to do at all times."
"We commend these students and appreciate the way they presented the new information directly to administration and law enforcement. Firsthand knowledge of information is critical and helps us to address any possible fears or concerns in a quick and efficient manner," the school system said.
The student who was arrested is not being identified. The sheriff's office said a juvenile pickup order was issued by the Harlan County District Court, and the juvenile was taken into custody and transported to the Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Center.
"The Sheriff’s Office takes these complaints seriously and is working closely with school officials to handle this complaint," the HCSO said.
The district did not post any notice of the threat publicly Monday, saying it was because “there was never a threat made related in any way to this incident.”
Before the arrest, officials said the student who created the list met with school administration early Tuesday morning and agreed to spend the next two weeks isolated in the school safe room to relieve any fears by his classmates “as he knew social media had taken the list he created and turned it into something it was never meant to be.” However, by the end of the day on Tuesday, the student decided to remove himself from the school and would not return for the rest of the month.
The sheriff’s department had additional deputies on-site and were following up on each rumor this week, according to officials.