WS Chronicle

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two adults dead, parents across the country have been worried about sending their children to school. Now, imagine building up the courage to send your kids to school only to receive a call a few hours later and hearing that your child has been threatened with gun violence by an adult. 

For some parents at Clemmons Middle School, that was reality last week. 

Here’s what we know: According to deputies with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), while the bus was traveling to the school on the morning of Thursday, May 27, a student on the bus was on the phone with a family member. While on speakerphone, 29-year-old Lasheika Ziglar threatened to “shoot up” the bus and have other family members do the same.

Students notified the bus driver who notified school administrators and law enforcement. After arriving at the school safely, it was determined that the threat was not credible, but deputies remained at the school throughout the day. 

One parent said when she received a call from her daughter telling her what was going on, she immediately contacted the school. She was relieved that the school was already on top of the issue but said she was still terrified at the same time.

“I was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety because I had no clue where the bus was. Although nobody was hurt and no lives were lost, the children on the bus were left traumatized; especially since there was a fatal school shooting in Texas the day before,” she continued. “As a parent I want my children to go to school and come back home safely. All I can think at this point is that only an animal would want to hurt children. I hope an example is made out of her. I hope she is punished to the highest extent and that a message is sent out that we will not tolerate any acts of terrorism.”

Later that day Ziglar was arrested and charged. According to Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Ziglar was charged with felonious false reporting concerning mass violence on education property. Kimbrough said they will not tolerate threats of any kind toward children. 

“With the climate we are living in, it is a must that we take all threats seriously and respond to them in a serious manner. We will not tolerate any threat of any kind toward our children, especially not threats made by adults,” Kimbrough continued. 

“We have a zero-tolerance policy and will respond accordingly. The Office of the People remains committed to working with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and doing everything in our power to keep our children safe.” 

In a statement released that evening, Sandra Hunter, principal at Clemmons Middle School, said she was grateful for the partnership with the FCSO. 

”We are thankful that our law enforcement partners helped to investigate, and they have decided to press charges against the person on the cell phone. We want to assure parents and students that any time they have a concern whether on campus, on a bus, or off-campus, we will do our best to investigate and protect our students. We will always make sure our parents are aware of as much factual information as possible, as soon as possible. 

“Student safety is always our top priority,” Hunter said.