KINGS MOUNTAIN — Rumors about security threats at Kings Mountain High School this week may threaten the school’s prom, police said Thursday.
But Cleveland County Schools Superintendent Bruce Boyles said the prom will go on as planned.
Rumors — on Facebook and by word of mouth in the community — all stemmed from several fights involving KMHS students, KM Police Chief Melvin Proctor said.
“There were two off-campus fights videoed, and we believe there was a third one. The fights started because a student didn’t like the way another student looked at him, and they agreed to meet up,” Proctor said.
“There have been no bomb threats,” he said, responding to rumors,
and no riots.”
One fight was May 10 outside the Kings Mountain YMCA, and at least one more was at Davidson Park, Proctor said.
Six students were arrested Wednesday in connection with the fights, all on simple affray charges. Five students have $2,500 bonds, and one student has a $5,000 bond because he was also charged with assault inflicting serious injury, he said.
“It all started when students said they were going to bring guns and knives to school to settle it all,” Proctor said. “Parents got involved and started posting on Facebook, and rumors started spreading.”
Police have spent the past several days tracking rumors, including that there have been bomb threats and riots at the school, Proctor said. The Star has also received several calls about security threats at the school. All of those reports have turned out to be false, Proctor said.
Due to the reports, however, police have stepped up security at the school this week.
“Kings Mountain is the safest school to be at right now because police officers are walking the halls,” said Donna Carpenter, public information officer for Cleveland County Schools. “This week, there were calls to the school and rumors circulating that something had happened or was about to happened at the high school.”
If rumors continue and police and school officials believe security is a concern, authorities may consider canceling Kings Mountain’s prom, set for Saturday.
“No one wants to ruin prom, but students need to think about that. It’s not fun and games anymore,” Proctor said. “If parents and students keep posting stuff on Facebook and spreading rumors, there will be no prom.”
Boyles said prom will go on as scheduled and the school will be working with law enforcement, as they do at all proms, for safety.
“They had a great day today at school, and students were going about their business,” Boyles said. “No one was doing anything that would cause concern.”