VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach police said a North Carolina man is suspected of emailing threats to St. John the Apostle Catholic School last week.
The school canceled classes on Thursday and Friday as a result of the threats.
The Camden County Sheriff's Office said 30-year-old Bobby Dale Francisco of South Mills, North Carolina, was arrested last Friday. He's being held on a $1 million bond and is awaiting extradition to Virginia to face charges.
After receiving the threat last week, school administrators made the decision to close the school on Thursday, and again as a precaution on Friday.
In a notice sent to families at the time, Interim Principal Jennifer Davey wrote, "Your children are at the forefront of our thinking, and we know that this threat only compounds a difficult few days for our students and families. When we return, we will work to discuss with your children in an age-appropriate way, the power of threatening language and behaviors, as well as the ways in which we work to keep them safe, both physically and emotionally."
Days before the threat was made, a Virginia Beach mom raised concerns about the school after her son was suspended for waiting too long to report a classmate who brought a bullet to class. A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond said the threat had been made in response to news coverage about that incident and that the suspect had no affiliation with the school community.