Several CMS Schools Under Tighter Security Following Social Media Threats

CHARLOTTE — 5 CMS Schools are under tighter security after threats circulated on social media following the deadly shooting of a 3-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy, and other violence this week.

Additional officers are on patrol at Chambers, North and West Mecklenburg High, Hopewell High, and Harding University High School.  CMPD believes students at three of those schools could be connected to the murder of 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa.  The little boy, and ten others were sleeping inside their north Charlotte home when someone fired more than 150 rounds into their house  No one has been arrested.  School and community leaders reacted to the threats of violence at several schools.

“We are aware of threats on social media against our schools.  We have no evidence that any of them are credible,” says Earnest Winston, CMS Superintendent.

“When these situations arise we need something concrete to understand what kind of security are they having at these schools,” says Kass Ottley, CMS employee and community activist.

We checked with CMS and learned that every traditional high school, middle school, and K-8 has one school resource officer assigned, elementary schools are patrolled by CMS Police, and local law enforcement.  There are only two CMS Schools that utilize metal detectors – Charlotte Mecklenburg Academy and Turning Point.

Winston says the district has reinstituted random safety screenings.

CMS will also add additional security measures at football games including;

• No elementary or middle school students will be allowed to enter the stadium without a parent or guardian.
• All students and children must sit in the bleachers/stands and will not be allowed to walk around during the game (except for going to the restroom or concession stand).
• Additional security/police will be placed in the parking lot following the games.
• There will be an increased police/campus security associates at the football games.