FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — Leaders on the state and local level are sharing words of hope, comfort, and grief after a student died following an incident at Mount Tabor High School Wednesday.
William Chavis Raynard Miller, Jr. died from his injuries after being shot Wednesday, according to Forsyth County deputies.
“Before you take to social media, please take the time for us to give the facts,” Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said Wednesday during a press conference.
Multiple schools were placed on lockdown including Speas Global Elementary School, Parkland High School and Mount Tabor High School.
Lockdowns were lifted for Speas Global Elementary and Parkland High Wednesday afternoon.
“No matter how sad the day, we are going to get through this,” Kimbrough said. “The Miller family needs your prayers.”
Kimbrough said the investigative team’s primary concern was the safety of students.
“I gave his mother Shannon my word, that I would say his name,” Kimbrough said before revealing Miller’s name.
District Attorney Jim O’Neill said hearing of Miller’s death and incident at Mount Tabor was like “a punch in the stomach.”
“There is no worse fear you could ever imagine,” O’Neill said.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus gave her sympathy and prayers to Miller’s family, and to all students, staff and parents at Mount Tabor.
“We are praying for everyone,” McManus said. “We take zero tolerance for violence at any of our schools.”
Leaders such as Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines also shared their condolences.
“We are deeply saddened by the event,” Joines said in a tweet. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the student.”
Gov. Roy Cooper gave a statement regarding the incident at Mount Tabor.
“For the second time this week, we have seen a shooting in a North Carolina school,” Cooper tweeted. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and all the students of Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem.”
“We are in some difficult times," Winston-Salem police chief Catrina Thomas said.