The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating threats made against Southside High School students via the social media app Instagram.

The threat of gun violence at the school, however, is not new, nor has it been found to be credible — this week’s latest investigation was prompted by many concerned parents calling the sheriff’s office regarding what was likely a recirculation of an old threat, according to Major Charlie Rose, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

“There have been several incidents over the last few months with regard to Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram,” Rose said on Wednesday. “It sparked off again yesterday and continued on today. … This is really sort of an extension or reposting of an issue that has been brought up over the last few months.”

While investigators have spoken with the person responsible for the initial threat, there has been no indication that it was credible, Rose said.

“We have not been able to find a credible threat towards the school — no credible threat in Beaufort County — but we’re looking at every thing we come across,” Rose said.

Rose said anytime the sheriff’s office receives indication of a large-scale fight, a party that involves underage drinking or other illegal behavior on the part of Beaufort County’s student population, investigators are often called to track down the culprits through social media sites like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram — places where information is quickly, and sometimes indiscriminately, shared.

“So much of the crimes that we’re investigating now, there’s some sort of link through the Internet,” Rose said, adding that criminal investigators not only receive training to track down crime online, but also are constantly learning from the people they’re investigating.

“A lot of what makes it difficult is just the volume of information from so many sources. Any report we get, we’re going to try to look into it. If we get one or two, it’s really simple, but if we get hundreds …,” Rose said.

Beaufort County Schools issued a statement Wednesday indicating that administration is working closely with the sheriff’s office to investigate any perceived threat to Southside High School.

“No students or staff have been harmed in any way and the matter is now under investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Beaufort County Schools takes any and all implications of threats seriously and will always call on our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” reads a statement issued by BCS Public Information Officer Sarah Hodges.