(WMC) - About 50 percent of students were absent from Arlington High School on Monday after a threatening message reportedly written on a wall was posted on social media.
Security was beefed up as students returned to class on Monday.
A message saying that someone would shoot up the school on September 22 was reportedly written on a wall at the school. A photo of the message was posted to social media where it spread like wildfire.
"There was barely anybody there. Only a few people came," said Arlington High School junior Jaspreet Singh.
"In one of my classes there were like five kids," added Emma Jordan.
Shelby County Sheriff's Office added deputies on patrol on campus. Despite investigators deeming the threat to be not credible, they did not want to take any chances.
"Our whole mission is to keep faculty, staff, and students, and anybody who comes to these schools, safe," said Chip Washington, Shelby County Sheriff's Office. "We take threats seriously. I mean, there was a threat made to the school, so I think it would be foolhardy for anyone to ignore that."
The person who wrote the message faces possible legal trouble and long-term suspension.
School officials say out of an enrollment of 2,044, only about half showed up to school. Those who did say the smaller crowd on campus made for a peaceful day.
Senior Kylie Huey is among the students who were scared off by the threat sprawled on a bathroom wall.
"I really didn't think anything about it, but people started freaking out about last night, posting stuff on Facebook, everybody talking about it on Twitter, and my mom just said, 'You're going to stay home,'" she said.
Kylie's mom, Laura, says tragedy has happened elsewhere and the community's stirring heightened her concern.
"We really don't think it's true, but ... precaution," said Laura. "You try to play it down, but there's always something in your mind saying, 'What if?'"
School officials say they notified sheriff's deputies last week.
"Our decision not to inform parents was not based on social media but on information we have received," said Arlington Community Schools Superintendent Tammy Mason on Monday. "Again, I want to make it clear that social media does not dictate what our plan of action is. We do, from the fact that we obtain."
Mason says school will be in session as normal on Tuesday. Monday's absences will be excused.
Copyright 2014 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.
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