Gun at Spring Valley H.S.? NO

"Does everyone know one Spring Valley High School student, who had a gun on him, was arrested TODAY during school hours? The 2 other students who accompanied him, with the intent to shoot up the school after entering through a back door (to get around metal detectors), got away on foot. This is according to the threats made prior to the incident.

"I think parents and the public should be aware of this, but it is nowhere in the news and the school never went on lockdown!! I have 2 children at this school, I’m appalled and highly concerned."

This was posted on NextDoor at approximately 3:50PM.

The same poster made a second post that supported the first.

Nothing about this is posted on WIS-TV yet.

There is a reason for the metal detectors at schools. NO student (or teacher or staff) should admit anyone from the outside through side or back doors. Period!!!

[Edited 9/25/2024}

Following is a letter that Jeff Temoney, Principal at SVHS, sent to parents:

Dear Spring Valley High School Parents and Guardians,

I hope this email finds you well. I'm writing to address a situation that occurred yesterday and to clarify some misinformation that is circulating in our community on social media.

Yesterday afternoon, we had an incident involving two of our students. The students were off campus during school hours and allegedly took items from a nearby store without paying. Richland County Sheriff’s deputies pursued the students back to an area near our campus and additional law enforcement responded to the situation.

I want to emphasize that at no point was there a weapon involved in this incident. I understand there may be rumors suggesting otherwise, but I can assure you with absolute certainty that there was no gun on our campus yesterday or at any time during this event.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. We take all security matters seriously and respond swiftly to any potential threats. If a weapon had been on campus, you would have heard that information from me. Confirming important information and not spreading rumors helps keep our campus safe. As always, we're committed to maintaining open communication with our school community.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office. We appreciate your understanding and continued support in making Spring Valley High School a safe and positive learning environment for all our students.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jeff Temoney

Principal, Spring Valley High School