‘You will face justice:’ Horry County police chief weighs in on string of school threats

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Three people have already been charged in connection with a string of threats against Carolina Forest High School last week, and “possibly more” could be coming as authorities continue their investigation, Horry County Police Chief Joseph Hill told News13.

“I think folks really think they’re anonymous when they’re lodging these threats via the internet, but they’re not. Everyone leaves an electronic breadcrumb,” Hill said Wednesday. “Between the Horry County Police Department and our federal partners we will find them, and we have.”

The school on Monday received its sixth threat in less than a week. Authorities announced the next day that 19-year-old Trenton Alexander Brown of Baton Rouge, La. will be extradited on charges of threatening the use of a destructive device.

Police say the man is behind one of several bomb threats called into South Carolina’s second largest high school. Officials said they were able to trace other false alarms to a server in India.

Two local juveniles were also arrested last week in connection with another threat.

“The hoaxes, if kids want to do it because they want to get out of school, get out of testing, whatever the case may be, it’s counterproductive,” Hill said. “You will face charges. You will face justice, and now you will have a permanent criminal record.”

Hill’s comments echoed those made Monday by 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.

“There’s going to be a few kids that are going to pay a very tough price for this,’ he said in his weekly YouTube feature. “Once you’ve spent that kind of money (responding to calls) and scared that many people, there’s going to be a tough price to be paid for it. When I say that, I’m talking about prison time.”

Hill wasn’t able to say how much money the responses have cost, but said they have been pricey in other ways.

“It takes us away from other pressing matters, that’s what’s important,” Hill said. “Our community is already growing by leaps and bounds, our resources are already strained and these hoaxes, they do no good for anyone. We have kids out of school. It’s just a whole disruption for the whole entire community.”

* * *

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 .

* * *

Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook , or Instagram , and read more of her work he r e .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.