Social media threats circulating in St. Mary's Co. nearly one year after Great Mills H.S. shooting

ST. MARY'S COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and St. Mary's County Public Schools officials began a joint investigation Tuesday into social media threats directed at schools in the county one day before the anniversary of the deadly shooting at Great Mills High School.

The sheriff's office and school district say they are working together to determine the origin of the threats, as well as their credibility, in an effort to ensure the safety of students and faculty throughout the county.

A parent at Spring Ridge Middle school told FOX 5 Tuesday a threat was made against the school.

Principal Wendy L. Zimmerman released a statement in an email to parents that read, in part:

"I want to make you aware of rumors that started this afternoon. Students were saying that they overheard other students talking about another student bringing a weapon to school. This talk continued from student to student until it was reported to admin after students left for the day. Spring Ridge administration is working closely with the Sheriff's office and Safety and our Security office to actively investigate the report."

If you have information about these threats, contact the SMCSO at 301-475-8008.