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Two teenagers charged with violent threats against Gaston County high schools

By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com
By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com

GASTONIA, N.C. — A second teenager was arrest this week for threatening “mass violence” against a Gaston County School.

Allurious Drequeze Watson, 16, from Dallas, has been charged with threatening to “blow up” North Gaston High School, according to our partners at the Gaston Gazette.

Watson was arrested by Dallas police Friday afternoon.

(Allurious Drequeze Watson)

According to warrants, Watson wrote the threat on the bathroom wall of North Gaston High Dec. 15. The Gazette reports that Watson indicated that he would blow up the school. The message read: "Imma blow this n----r school up at 11:50; Be prepared."

Watson is charged with one felony count of false representation of mass violence on educational property.

On Dec. 15, North Gaston High students and staff exited the building while police evaluated the threat and bomb squad was on scene, according to the Gazette.

Last week, Gaston County police arrested and charged 17-year-old Shiquan Ratchford with making threats against Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia.

Ratchford has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct by disrupting students, one count of misdemeanor cyberstalking and one felony count of making a false report concerning mass violence on educational property.

On Wednesday, Gaston County police received a report of threats being made to Hunter Huss High School via Facebook. Detectives were able to identify the Facebook account used to make the threats as that of Ratchford and arrested him just after midnight.

Police told Eyewitness News reporter Ken Lemon that Ratchford admitted to creating a fake account and then posting that he was going to shoot up Hunter Huss High School and put it on the map.

Investigators said that ironically Ratchford made the threats because he wanted to go back to school. They said he was a football player there and was upset that he was expelled.

Ratchford apologized in court Thursday afternoon.

"I'm sorry. I really am sorry,” Ratchford said.

Ratchford is currently in the Gaston County Jail under a $250,000 secured bail. He is a former student at Hunter Huss High School.

"He was talking about going in and shooting school up and putting Hunter Huss on the map,” Gaston police Capt. Susan Mauney said.

Police said Ratchford also threatened to do the same at Stuart W. Cramer High in Belmont.

Investigators said they had to take the threat seriously because there are so many school shootings nationwide.

The threat quickly spread around campus.

Students said several of their classmates left early Wednesday.

Police quickly tracked the threat back to Ratchford's cellphone and arrested him at home Wednesday night.

"(My daughter) was not coming to school until we found out that he was arrested,” parent Barbara Minton said.

Police brought in extra security and metal detectors Thursday.

Student Maysie Humphries, who remembers seeing Ratchford on campus, said she knew he was in jail when she got to school, but she worried about copycat criminals.

"I hope nothing happens. I was praying to God nothing happened,” Humphries said.

Gaston County police released the following statement Wednesday:

"There will be extra security at Hunter Huss High School tomorrow in reference to a social media threat. We are currently investigating the credibility of the threat, but are taking necessary precautions."

"We are still attempting to determine the identity of the person who has sent the threats. Stuart Cramer will also have additional security tomorrow."

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