News release from CAYCE, SC – On February 7, 2023, the Cayce Police Department was alerted to a bomb threat received at Airport High School. As a safety precaution, the school was evacuated immediately and searched for any sort of explosive device. Thankfully, none were found. CPD responded to three additional bomb threats at Airport High School in February. 

The safety of our students and teachers is a top priority of our officers and each threat was thoroughly investigated. CPD does not tolerate disruptive threats in our schools as they cause our students to be removed from their learning environment, parents to be concerned about their children, and school staff and public safety officers are diverted from other responsibilities.

CPD opened an investigation into the threats at Airport High School and announced that charges would be filed for Student Threats  and Possession, Threatened or Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

These charges are being filed against a 16-year-old juvenile, who was a former student at Airport High School. He and his co-conspirator, a juvenile who now lives out-of-state in Los Angeles, California, knew of the other bomb threats made in other Richland and Lexington County schools and thought it would be fun do one themselves. The juveniles used a popular gaming app to plan out the threat.

To bring closure to our community, the Cayce Police Department utilized the relationships and resources of local, state, and federal agencies to work this case; including: the Los Angeles Police Department, the 11^th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Secret Service, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, and the Allendale Police Department.  

Cayce Police Chief, Chris Cowan, stated, “We never take charging a juvenile lightly, but we do not hesitate in taking swift action to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and teachers. We hope this level of vigilance will deter future acts.”