Overview
- Drew Andres Owens was released from the Mecklenburg County Jail after satisfying reduced secured bonds on Saturday, Aug. 22, and he remains indicted on five felony counts from a March 2025 grand jury.
- Prosecutors say Owens sent multiple threatening emails on Feb. 15, 2025 that promised to "slaughter staff and students" at four schools and mailed a separate threat that named an alleged armed student at Garinger High School.
- Bond amounts in the case changed over time: an early lower bond was later raised to about $200,000 secured, judges reduced the amounts in 2026 to a $60,000 secured bond for the four-school case and a $15,000 secured bond for the Garinger case, and a professional surety posted the larger bond that led to his release.
- Court records and local reporting say Owens has pleaded not guilty, remains on pretrial release with reported electronic monitoring and orders to stay away from the targeted schools, and his criminal cases are still pending.
- Parents, school staff and neighbors have expressed fear and anger as students returned to class on Aug. 25, and officials face pressure to explain bond decisions, notification practices, and what more can be done to protect schools.