Officials respond to weapons comment made at Page County School Board meeting

PAGE COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Amelia King has been charged by police with a violation of making a threat on school property.

EARLIER REPORTED

The Page County School Board met Thursday night to vote in favor of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order, making masks a choice for students.

During the citizen comment period, commenter Amelia King said “No mask mandates. My child, my children will not come to school on Monday with a mask on. Alright? That’s not happening. And I will bring every single gun loaded and ready.”

The school board cut her off for exceeding her three minutes, and she responded with “I’ll see you all on Monday.”

King’s statement brought cause for concern for Page County Public Schools and local law enforcement stepped in to take additional security measures on Friday.

“We have extra deputies assigned to the school’s to make sure that the staff and the students are safe, we want to make sure that our schools are safe and we’re gonna continue to do that as long as need be to make sure that everyone feels comfortable,” said Sherriff Chad Cubbage, of the Page County Sheriff’s Office.

The Luray Police Department has been investigating the incident, the department says King has been cooperative.

Police say they’re using section 18.2-60. of the Virginia Code to determine how to handle the incident moving forward.

King later sent an apology to the school board that was read aloud at the end of Thursday night’s meeting. In the apology King said that her comments were not meant to be literal, instead she was referring to using all available resources to fight a mask mandate.

“I am absolutely mortified, I would never do such a thing, I was only speaking figuratively as in notifying the press and creating a social media stir, nonetheless I’m beside myself, I already called the Sheriff’s Office explaining myself, I never meant to imply I would show up with actual firearms, I’m not a dangerous person, I’m not a threat and I’m sorry for the way it came across,” King wrote in her apology.

Division Superintendent Dr. Antonia Fox and the Luray Police Department released statements addressing the comments made. Those can be found below.

Amelia King has been charged by police with a violation of making a threat on school property.

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