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An incident involving a bullet at George Rogers Clark High School prompted social media rumors that district officials quashed in a social media statement Wednesday.

Superintendent Molly McComas spoke to the Sun in a phone interview later that evening about the incident.

“They [students] were working on a car and rolling around in the floor board of a pickup truck or a car were bullets. I don’t know if someone was going hunting–no gun was found. The kid–a lack of judgment-took the bullet, threw it at somebody and then
threw one in a bathroom,” McComas said.

The superintendent said that she became aware of the incident between 1:30 and 2 p.m.

News of the incident leaked out on social media, and there were also rumors of a photo of a gun circulating, prompting many concerned calls to central office.

“It caused a panic, and rightfully so, for kids, staff and parents. But once we did the investigation–looking at videos and working with our SLEOs (special law enforcement officer–that is what it was determined to be … Unfortunately there was a picture of a gun that went around on an app. That was investigated and unfounded,” McComas said.

The superintendent also used the incident to illuminate which incidents the districts will send official communications out about and ones it will not.

“We have things that get reported to us, and I’m not going to go to social media or email a parent about everything that happens for two reasons. One, I don’t want to induce panic when it is unnecessary. Two, I don’t want them to get number to the communications,” McComas said. “So, if they are not hearing anything, than either something happened and it wasn’t necessary to get reported.”

She stated that the district will gage whether to address an incident publicly depending on the call volume about it at central office, and added that the district has to follow Kentucky Safe School protocols in crafting official communications.

“At the end of the day, everything is taken completely seriously and acted accordingly with,” McComas said.

In a social media statement, McComas praised school and district staff for how they handled the incident.

“We have amazing School Law Enforcement Officers that work hand in hand with administration. We utilize our camera system to quickly narrow investigations. Most of all, we have amazing students that let teachers and administrators know. We even contact outside law enforcement for guidance in many cases for extra guidance,” she wrote.

The superintendent also had this to say to parents in the statement.

“Tonight over dinner, please remind your student how important it is to use good judgment and to trust teachers and leaders by sharing anything they hear about that may cause alarm or pose a threat,” McComas wrote.