18-year-old accused of threats of mass violence against school in RTP

A Raleigh teen was arrested last week on charges of making threats against a school in Durham County.

On Wednesday, Research Triangle Park High School received a series of threats against the school, according to the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators identified 18-year-old Samuel Scipione of Raleigh as a suspect. Officers interviewed him with his parents, and he admitted making the threats against the charter school, the Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release on Friday. Investigators do not think he planned to carry out the threats, which the release did not describe.

Scipione was arrested and charged with three counts of communicating threats of mass violence on an educational property, the Sheriff’s Office stated. Scipione posted a $10,000 secured bail bond and was released from custody.

Multiple incidents of threats against local schools and weapons brought to schools have occurred this school year.

In February, more than a dozen weapons were found in North Carolina schools, including at Hillside High School in Durham and Wendell Middle School in Wake County.

On Feb. 6, two students were shot, one of them fatally, near Hillside High. Last week, three teens were shot near Brogden Middle School in Durham. Two boys, both 16, died.

“I implore every parent or guardian to sit down with your children and talk about this issue,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a statement. “They need to understand that it’s not a joke, nor is it something law enforcement takes lightly. It is a felony and they can be criminally charged.”

This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 8:25 AM with the headline "18-year-old accused of threats of mass violence against school in RTP."