Lexington County school targeted in new threat, prompting evacuation, officials say

A high school in Lexington County was evacuated Tuesday after it was named in the most recent threat targeting a Midlands school.

A threat against Airport High School was made in an email late Tuesday morning, Lexington 2 spokeswoman Dawn Kujawa said in a news release. The school is on Boston Avenue in West Columbia, about 2 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Law enforcement was contacted immediately and was soon on the school’s campus investigating the threat, according to the release.

Information about the threat was not available.

Students and staff are safe, and used fire drill procedures to evacuate the building at the request of law enforcement, according to the release.

After conducting a thorough search of the building, law enforcement officers cleared it for return and students and staff began re-entering and will resume the school day, Kujawa said at about 12:40 p.m.

After ensuring that all students receive lunch, there will be a normal dismissal time, according to the release.

During the search, no one was allowed on or off campus except for law enforcement and district/school administrators, according to the release.

“Our students and staff did a great job today, and we are so proud of them,” Kujawa said. “We also want to thank our law enforcement partners once again for their quick response to this incident.”

This continues a trend of Midlands schools being threatened.

Last week, several schools in Lexington and Richland counties were either evacuated or placed under a safety protocol as they were targeted by threats, officials said.

Airport High School was one of the schools that was named in a threat last Thursday. During that incident, the school was placed on a hold, with students and teachers remaining in place in their rooms for instruction and activities, before a staggered early dismissal of students in the afternoon.

The sheriff’s departments in both counties, as well as the Lexington Police Department, said no credible evidence of the threats was found after the law enforcement agencies searched the schools.

A student from Spring Valley High School was arrested last Thursday in connection with threats targeting Midlands schools, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

The 15-year-old was charged with threatening to use a “destructive device,” conveying false information about using a destructive device, student threats and disturbing schools, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said. The department deemed all of the threats to be hoaxes done to disrupt schools.

On Monday, the teen was charged with similar crimes in Lexington County in connection with the Feb. 2 threats made to River Bluff High School and the Lexington Technology Center, the sheriff’s department said.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.