Brush Creek, Madison Middle students moved to sheriff's office due to bomb threat

Madison County, N.C. (WLOS) — School officials say students from two Madison County schools were moved Tuesday morning to the sheriff's office due to a "safety concern." Officials tell News 13 the students were moved after a bomb threat was found written on a wall in the middle school girl's bathroom.

Out of an abundance of caution, students from both the Brush Creek Elementary School and Madison Middle School, the two schools share a campus, were relocated.

According to Madison County's superintendent, law enforcement is conducting a safety sweep of the Madison Middle School campus, but officials don't believe there are any credible safety issues.

School officials say bagged lunches are being prepared for students, and parents can pick up their children at the sheriff's office.

Officials tell News 13 everything started at around 10:30 a.m. and parents were quickly notified via phone.

Read the full statement from the superintendent here:

I want to reassure Parents and Guardians that students are safe and have been moved to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement is still conducting a safety sweep of the Madison Middle School campus, we do not believe there are any credible safety issues. Brush Creek Elementary parents and Madison Middle parents may pick up their child at the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Please enter the front door of the Sheriff’s Department to pick up your child. Bagged lunches are being prepared for students.

Students who are not picked up by 12:30 pm will be taken to the Madison County Wellness Center beside the Madison Early College High School and Central Office, where you can pick up your child. Students who are not picked up will ride their regular bus home.

Thank you for your continued patience.

As the release said, students may be picked up at the Sheriff's Department, those who are not picked up by 12:30 p.m. will be taken to the Madison County Wellness Center.

Madison County resident Pat Goforth says she got the call around 10 AM that her grandson and his classmates were being evacuated to the sheriff's department out of an abundance of caution. "That’s all they told us," said Goforth. "That’s why it put

such a fear. We knew it had to be bad."

Meanwhile, students like seventh grader Brayden Wilson got separated from friends as they took the quick but scary bus ride to the sheriffs department.

"Some of my friends weren’t there. I got really scared, started crying and stuff because I was terrified. Soon enough they came and I hug them very hard."

The bomb threat turned out not to be credible after law-enforcement swept the campus.

However superintendent Dr. Will Hoffman says it was better to be safe than sorry. "We try to analyze the threat to make sure it’s credible. A lot of cases you don’t have time to do that. In this case we felt it was important to get everyone out," explains Hoffman.

Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood says 2 weeks ago, his department did a bomb threat drill, and that bringing the students to the sheriff's department is part of the safety plan. Harwood also says the fact that family members stayed calm while picking up their students helped with the overall safety of the students. "We were able to do our jobs, set up a perimeter and contain the situation and move all the kids up here without any mayhem whatsoever."

Pat Goforth says she's impressed that the nearly one thousand students were able to be evacuated to the sheriff's department in less than 30 minutes, and tonight, she's a grateful grandparent. "I think they've done a supreme job," Goforth says of school faculty and staff and law enforcement.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wlos.com for updates.