GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — An 18-year-old student arrested last week for making threats to schools on social media is now released from jail after a hearing Friday.
A judge ruled that Williams is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community and that he can be released to his mother's custody. His attorney argued in the hearing that Williams' originally $250,000 bond was too much.
Kayshaun Williams is facing a charge of false reporting of mass violence toward educational property after allegedly making a threat on Snapchat targeting five Guilford County schools. The Snapchat threats displayed several guns, according to police.
Officers with the High Point Police Department said they started receiving calls from teachers, students, and community members about the threat around 11 p.m. on Sept. 20. The threat mentioned Southwest, Southern, Andrews, Southeast and Northeast high schools, according to officials.
Williams was arrested by High Point police the next day.
This is Williams' first arrest as an adult.
He was taken to High Point Jail last week on a $250,000 bond.
“I understand the purpose of the court, the criminal justice system trying to deter that type of activity," Jason Keith, William's attorney, said last week. "However, given the nature of his lack of criminal history his cooperation, the fact he was involved in giving any information they requested, coming from a single-parent home, he's just a high school student who wants to go to the prom. That's an excessive bond.”
In court Friday, Keith presented a mental health assessment and letters of recommendation, attesting to Williams’s character. William’s mother was in the courtroom Friday as well.
"A couple nights, his twin brother has woken up out of his sleep calling for his name," Jalida Gwinn, William's mother said. "All of my family, his grandparents, have just been crying. Not being able to focus at work. It's been a hard week."
At Friday's hearing, the principals from Southwest and Northeast Guilford High Schools both said they did not oppose the bond being lowered. The state also did not oppose it but wanted it to be within the legal guidelines.
"There are two sides to the story and I think the consensus today, as you saw in court, was that everybody recognizes that this young man deserves a second chance and that everybody that came in front of the judge today asked for his bond to be modified, and that's important. That shows the character of this young man," Keith said. "So we'll get into the facts of the case at some point, but for now we all agree that a $250,000 bond is very unrealistic, unreasonable and the judge did the right thing today when he modified it."
The judge said Williams must temporarily disable all social media, and follow the recommendations of a previous mental health evaluation. Keith says they have a plan with a variety of things Williams is and is not allowed to do.
Judge Kelvin Smith said he did not want to belittle the effect William's alleged actions had on the school district, but the purpose of the hearing was not to present evidence of his guilt.
"Mr. Williams, like anyone else, is innocent until proven guilty," Smith said. "But the impact this must have had on the school system is enormous and as the state indicated, (so are) the resources that it would have taken to eliminate or minimize a threat. But here is not an evidentiary finding. Just to be clear, this is not a fact-finding mission."
News 2 asked William's attorney what message this ruling was sending to other students who could do something similar to what Williams is accused of doing.
"This circumstance is unique," Keith said. "You don't really know what's going on in a case until you actually get involved with it. I think the court system needs to be fair and equitable."
William's mother said her son has had challenges but he's a good kid.
“I don’t want (anyone) to give up on my child because I’m not giving up on him at all,” she said during the hearing.
But she told News 2 that having him home will be helpful for her family and for Williams.
"Like I tell Kayshaun every day. It's not over. You've got work to do. The road to redemption is just the beginning when you come home," Gwinn said.
The recommendations of the evaluation were not made available Friday.
"My main focus is on his education. It's his last year in school. He knows that it's not going to be easy, but he's ready to work hard," Gwinn said.
Williams is expected back in court later this month.
If found guilty, he faces 39 months in prison.
News 2 has reached out to High Point Police for a comment. We'll update this story if and when they respond.