Fiery explosion outside school in Lexington County prompts search for three, cops say
A search is underway for three men who caused a fiery explosion outside of a Midlands school, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Saturday night.
The incident happened Jan. 29 at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Lexington, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The Lexington 1 school is near the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Rawl Road, about three miles from Exit 51 on Interstate 20.
The sheriff’s department said the men walked up to the back of the school and climbed onto the roof. Later, they threw a Molotov cocktail which landed on the pavement and exploded, according to the release.
Surveillance footage shows the men walking up to the blazing fire. They then left the school in a white sedan, the sheriff’s department said.
No injuries were reported.
There was no word if the explosion caused any damage to the school or campus.
Information about a motive for detonating the explosive device was not available.
The sheriff’s department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the men involved in the incident, and anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
This was one of several incidents that affected Midlands schools in the past week.
Several schools in Lexington and Richland counties were either evacuated or placed under a safety protocol as they were targeted by threats, officials said.
The sheriff’s departments in both counties, as well as the Lexington Police Department, said no credible evidence of the threats was found after the law enforcement agencies searched the schools.
A student from Spring Valley High School was arrested Thursday in connection with threats targeting Midlands schools, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The 15-year-old was charged with threatening to use a “destructive device,” conveying false information about using a destructive device, student threats and disturbing schools, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department deemed all of the threats to be hoaxes done to disrupt schools.
There is no information connecting the Molotov cocktail incident to the threats issued last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
We are looking to identify three men from a Jan. 29 incident at Pleasant Hill Elementary School. They walked up to the back of the school and climbed onto the roof. Later, they threw a Molotov cocktail which landed on the pavement and exploded. They left in a white Sedan. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/8HF4RrAgPk
— Lexington Sheriff (@LCSD_News) February 4, 2023
