Extra sheriff's deputies were on hand at Briar Woods High School this morning after a parent alerted the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office over the weekend of a threatening text or email message being circulated among students.

Sheriff's Deputy cruisers parked outside Briar Woods High School this morning. (Photo by Erica Garman)

Kraig Troxell, spokesman for LCSO, would not comment on the nature of the message, but a release this afternoon from the Sheriff's Office confirmed that Daeshawn T. McDonald, 18, of Ashburn, has been charged in the case.

Loudoun County Public School spokesman, Wayde Byard, confirmed that an email rumor morphed into a text message panic among students, and he emphasized that at no time were the students or school staff in any danger.

Byard would not comment on the student or students responsible for the rumor.

When I arrived at BWHS this morning after receiving a tip, three marked LCSO cars were in front of the building, but there was no sense of panic among those entering or leaving the building.

I spoke with a woman who was leaving the high school. She said she'd received a text message from her son in math class. He wrote her that he was scared and asked that she check him out of school. After speaking with her son and school administrators she left alone, confident that the students were safe.

Her son told her a disgruntled student had issued a Columbine-type threat over the weekend as a result of a Friday altercation. The message was making the rounds among students.

I spoke with Ken McCauley who arrived at the Briar Woods office looking for more information about the automated safety message his wife had received from the school system. He asked the school secretary to call his son to the office so he could speak with him personally to verify his safety.

As I was leaving the building, a few deputies walked out with me. They would not give me any new information, but they did tell me the school was safe and there was no reason to panic at anytime during the day.

Stay tuned to LoudounExtra.com for more details.