CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said a teacher assistant was fired after police arrested her on a charge of communicating a threat of mass violence tied to Metro School.
Police identified the defendant as Ashley Armstrong. Local reporting said Armstrong is 38 and that officers arrested her Thursday, Oct. 8, after she allegedly threatened to shoot employees at Metro School, which serves students with cognitive disabilities.
A separate account said she was arrested Friday on a charge of communicating a threat of mass violence and was being held without bond. The arrest warrant cited in coverage listed the date of the alleged threat as Sept. 21. Authorities have not publicly detailed a motive.
CMS told families in a Friday, Oct. 9, notice that Armstrong is no longer employed by the district and that the safety of students and staff remains the top priority. The district said board policy and state statute limit what else it can release about the personnel matter.
Metro School is part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, a major Mecklenburg County employer. CMPD Chief Estella D. Patterson department oversees criminal investigations in the city, and bookings that reach the jail typically move through the Mecklenburg County system under Sheriff Garry McFadden.
Communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property is treated as a serious felony under North Carolina law. The charge remains an allegation, and Armstrong is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. No injuries were reported in connection with the Sept. 21 allegation, and the district said it shared the notice so families would not be surprised by news coverage.
School leaders asked the community to rely on official updates rather than unverified social media claims while the matter moves forward. CMS said student and staff safety remains its guiding priority as the criminal process continues.
