On October 25, word got around the school of a possible school shooting. This rumor stemmed from graffiti on the wall of a boys bathroom, which advised students not to come to school and warned of their intent to shoot up the school on Monday, October 29.

Principal Melissa George sent a message out to parents regarding the graffiti on Thursday:

“…there may be an additional police presence at our school tomorrow. As such, please share with your child that this behavior is unacceptable and will lead to disciplinary action at the school as well as possible criminal charges. If your child has any information regarding who might be responsible, please encourage them to share it with an administrator or police officer. Thank you.”

On Monday, George followed up and said that “Police have continued to search for the student responsible, but they have again shared there is no evidence to substantiate any threat against our school.”

The school also informed the students and parents that if someone saw something, to speak up for the safety of the kids.

On Friday, October 29, KHS was quieter than normal. Walking through the halls, many students, teachers and staff had a lot to say about the situation. Security assistant Beverly Baker was dealing with a lot of parents trying to pull their kids out of school after hearing of the threats.

Assistant Principal Darryl Johnson stated that “This reminds us to always watch our surroundings and keep our eyes open,” and spoke about the seriousness of making threats, adding that “jail time could be in the future” of the person who did the graffiti.

Even with the extra security of the building, not everyone felt safe. Students walking the halls saw the extra security as a sign of importance though. Along with the extra help, the school was on lockdown, and the courtyard was closed.

Cam Carpenter, senior, said that “[It] is sad that it has come to this. There’s no reason for some kid to want to shoot people up. Even with people being here, the school doesn’t make me feel safe on a day like this.”

On October 29, 2018, almost half of all students stayed home, with attendance estimating over 800 students to be excused.

Neal Hinch, special ed teacher, referred to the graffiti as “copycat,” referring to the similar threats circulating other Virginia Beach schools.

As of October 30, no one knows who wrote the message, and why they wrote it.

“Let me again ask that if your child has any continuing concerns or new information to share that they come speak to me, the police or another trusted staff member, so we can take appropriate action,” said Principal George.