National school safety group launching volunteer patrols in Carolina Forest area following string of bomb threats
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A national school safety group launched in the aftermath of a deadly 2022 Texas shooting is recruiting volunteers to patrol the Carolina Forest area following a string of bomb threats over the past week.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids on Sunday said it was launching a STOPNOW patrol team “in an attempt to reduce parents and student escalating fears.”
Two students were charged on Friday after a bomb threat at Carolina Forest High School the night before, police said. Authorities responded to five such threats in a matter of days.
The threat received Thursday night by Horry County police came on the heels of one earlier in the day that authorities said was traced to an internet server in India. That incident began with a bomb threat at the school and was followed by nearly simultaneous calls to Myrtle Beach and Horry County 911 dispatchers about an active shooter in the school.
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Authorities also said Thursday that they were aware of “additional misinformation in the community surrounding the incident.” Some of that information claimed that there was a real threat to safety, police said. However, it appears to have been generated by artificial intelligence programs and shared via social media.
In a statement, Foundation for Kids founder Daniel Chapin said the STOPNOW patrols will be deployed indefinitely.
The foundation was established in the wake of a May 2022 attack at Robb Elementary School that left 21 people dead.
“We stand collectively and in solidarity in denouncing any threats against students to the fullest degree, and vow to ensure additional support resources, including our specialized patrol teams who will in be place,” he said.
Teams do not enter school or district properties. They operate in several states including California, Colorado, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.
STOPNOW volunteers are not armed and must clear a background check before being added to a team but are identifiable by uniforms.
Potential patrol volunteers can email uvaldefoundationforkids@gmail.com or call (254) 206-9089.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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