BARNWELL, S.C. (WJBF) — A wave of bomb threats have hit South Carolina schools since the beginning of the year, including in Barnwell.

“I have grandkids and I have great-grands, and I don’t wanna see anybody to do anything like that to harm them.” Carl Davis told NewsChannel 6’s Aiken Bureau Chief Shawn Cabbagestalk.

Barnwell High School has gotten five threats in the last month. “We’ve called other agencies in to respond with their bomb dogs. SLED has responded and some of the other agencies have responded,” Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Darlene Cook added.

One was called in. In that case, a student was arrested and released. Others were emailed in. The student is not connected with the other four.

“I think that technology has just got too much for the kids, and they use it to their advantage or disadvantage, and this is just a way for them to maybe cut school and get out, but they’re also hurting the other students who actually want to go to school and have something and learn something,” Davis said.

They were all false alarms. “Even though we know that it’s happening in other places all around the state. So we have called in all the resources that we could. We’ve taken each one of ’em very seriously. We continue to do that,” Deputy Chief Cook shared.

There’s a reward for information that leads to an arrest. “They need to prosecute ’em to the fullest extent of the law and teach somebody a lesson,” Davis added.

“The schools along with law enforcement began doing searches of the students’ book bag and sweeps of the school before the students enter,” Deputy Chief Cook shared.