Police in South Carolina have announced the arrest of Morgan Roof, 18, the sister of convicted mass killer and racist Dylann Roof. In 2015, Dylann Roof shot and killed nine African-American parishioners at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in a racially-motivated shooting. According to WIS-TV, Morgan Roof had posted a disturbing Snapchat message that related to National Walkout Day. The message reads:
“Your [sic] walking out for the allowed time of 17min, they are letting you do this, nothing is gonna change what tf you think it’s gonna do I hope it’s a trap and y’all get shot we know it’s fixing to be nothing but black people walkin [sic] out anyway.”
Students at A.C. Flora High School became concerned and rumors spread that a student may have a weapon at the school. On Wednesday, school administrators contacted the SRO who arrested Morgan Roof when it was found she was carrying a knife, pepper spray and marijuana. Roof was transported to a jail and charged with simple possession of marijuana and two counts of carrying weapons on school grounds. One of the conditions of her $5K bond states she is not allowed to return to the location of the incident – A.C. Flora High School.
The school issued the following statement:
Dear Flora Family,
AC Flora is fortunate to have a close and caring community which is open to sharing information. I want to thank those of you who have called to share concerns about what you may have heard from our students. In an effort to stop rumors, I would like to explain recent events that have occurred at AC Flora.
As many of you know, today was set as a time for a student walkout. Our student leaders had asked to be allowed to spend seventeen minutes to remember each of the victims of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. This student-led event was voluntary. The walkout went well with only a minor verbal disagreement that occurred at dismissal from the event. A rumor then started that a certain student had a weapon. This was heavily investigated and found to be inaccurate. In a separate situation, a student used social media to post a hateful message. The posting was not a threat, but was extremely inappropriate. That student was dealt with in a swift and severe manner as the posting caused quite a disruption. In an isolated incident yesterday, administration was notified that there was possibly a weapon on campus. Through diligent work from the Assistant Principals and the School Resource Officers, an unloaded weapon was recovered. The investigation of this matter involves law enforcement as well as school officials. Discipline for students involved will follow the Richland One Code of Conduct.
I realize that rumors and the tragic school shootings in Florida are events that can cause anxiety for our students, parents, faculty, and the community. Be assured that the safety of our students will always be our top priority. We must continue to work together to maintain a safe and positive learning environment. Please feel free to contact me at 803.807.8697 if you have questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Susan Childs
Principal
