UNION COUNTY, N.C. -- Deputies arrested a 32-year-old woman in connection with social media threats made against a Union County middle school Friday morning.
The Union County Sheriff's Office charged Lashauna Hooker Beachum with two felony counts of making false reports concerning mass violence on educational property.
According to deputies, the social media threats targeted Porter Ridge Middle School but also mentioned several members of the school staff by name as well as “immigrants” living in Suburban Estates in Monroe.
The initial post appeared on a local Facebook page, What's Up Indian Trail, around 2 a.m. Friday but was deleted before being posted again a few hours later, deputies say.
Deputies began investigating the source of the message and ramped up security in certain parts of Monroe and the Porter Ridge campuses Friday. Later that day, deputies later determined that the post originated from a residence on Wallace Road in Charlotte and later linked the social media posts to Beachum, who deputies say is a bus driver for the Porter Ridge campuses in Union County.
Detectives continued the investigation into the weekend and arrested Beachum Sunday.
Officials have not determined Beachum's motive behind the alleged social media posts. Detectives, however, say they do not believe Beachum had the means or intention of acting on the threat.
"Any comment, rumor or social media post mentioning violence on school property is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," said Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey in a statement.
Beachum was fired by the school district as of March 2, according to NBC Charlotte's Kendall Morris.