NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Richneck Elementary School’s new administrator sent a message to families Monday afternoon about a threat discovered over the weekend.

School administrator Karen Lynch sent an email to parents about the safety concern. The message said a group of Richneck fifth-grade students were texting on Saturday, when one of the students sent a message saying, “they would pop some bullets” and tell someone to shoot up the class.

One of the students involved in the text string reported this to their parents. The information made its way to Lynch, who said she immediately contacted the parents of the student who made the threat.

Lynch also said that the police department has been notified to conduct an investigation, and a threat assessment is in progress.

The student believed to be responsible for the threat will not be allowed to return to school while the investigation is underway, school spokesperson Michelle Price confirmed.

Threats and safety concerns are always taken very seriously. Please rest assured that all protocols are being followed and this incident is being addressed accordingly. I thank our student and parent for their swift action which allowed us to address this incident to ensure the safety of our students and staff. I truly value our partnership.

Karen Lynch, Richneck Elementary School Administrator

This threat comes just weeks after first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner was shot by a student at Richneck Elementary School. Zwerner was seriously injured, but survived and is now recovering.

School Superintendent Dr. George Parker, who was in that leadership role when the shooting happened at Richneck Jan. 6, was terminated. WAVY News has reported there have been other staffing changes at Richneck as the district grapples with the fallout from the shooting. There have been no charges filed.