West Virginia School Safety News

1/15/24 - West Virginia ‘guardian program’ could enhance school security, lawmakers say - Nearly 80% of parents responding to an annual back-to-school survey last summer by a nonprofit, national advocacy group said they were worried about the possibility — the inevitability, even — of gun violence in their child’s school for the coming 2023-24 academic year.

4/17/23 - Gun found in vehicle at Ripley (West Virginia) High School - RIPLEY, W.Va. (WV News) — The Ripley Police Department and the Ripley High PRO officer were alerted Monday morning to the fact that a student had a firearm in his vehicle that was parked on school grounds.

2/12/23 - Police to be at Taylor County schools following threat - BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Law enforcement will be present Monday at Taylor County Schools as authorities investigate a threat toward the school, school officials said.

1/30/23 - Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Dept. arrests suspect who planned school shooting - JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WTAP) - The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department arrested a suspect who planned to shoot Ripley Middle School.

1/29/23 - Juvenile arrested for West Virginia school shooting threat - JACKSON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department arrested a juvenile for making terroristic threats and threatening to shoot up a school.

1/16/23 - West Virginia State University lockdown lifted, University says - INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The lockdown at West Virginia State University has been lifted, the University said in a statement.

12/8/22 - WV Dept. of Homeland Security investigates multiple false threats of school violence - CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies received 19 hoax threats in a total of 17 counties Wednesday regarding school shootings or other violence on campuses across the state.

12/7/22 - False shooting, threats reported at multiple schools in West Virginia - KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Multiple hoax threats about school shootings or other violence were reported Wednesday in at least a dozen counties in West Virginia, including Kanawha and Cabell counties, state officials said.

12/7/22 - High school shooting threats deemed false alarms - SOUTH CHARLESTON/HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Calls made within minutes of each other regarding shootings at two local high schools have been deemed false alarms by law enforcement.

12/7/22 - Area school shooting threats deemed not credible, FBI investigating - BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - The West Virginia State Police said a call similar to those made about active shooters at schools across the state was also made to Charleston Area Medical Center to accept patients involved within or related to the incident.

9/9/22 - Student arrested after firearm found at high school - ST. ALBANS, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A student at St. Albans High School faces charges after allegedly bringing a “deadly weapon” to school in his backpack, the St. Albans Police Department said Friday.

9/9/22 - St. Albans High School student arrested for bringing gun to school - ST. ALBANS, WV (WOWK)—A St. Albans High School student was arrested for bringing a gun to school on Friday.

9/8/22 - Threats of school violence found to be made up - Late Monday evening, the School Safety Division of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of purported threats of violence set to take place at Admiral Byrd Middle School. Since then, FCSO has been working with school officials to investigate the alleged threats and has concluded them to have been made up.