Man accused of threatening to ‘shoot up’ Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools released from jail days before school starts

A man who was charged in February 2025 after allegedly making threats to kill students at five different Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools was released from jail days before classes start.

On Friday, Aug. 21, court records showed 33-year-old Drew Owens posted a $75,000 bond, four days before students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg return to class on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Owens was initially given a $10,000 bond before a judge raised it to $200,000, according to court documents.

It was not immediately clear why a judge lowered his bond from $200,000 to $75,000.

According to an affidavit, Owens sent a letter in the mail and allegedly threatened to “shoot up” and “kill all the Blacks” at Garinger High School. A second affidavit said that Owens allegedly sent emails to four different schools regarding a possible shooting.

Owens was charged with five counts of communicating a threat of mass violence on an educational property.

Read more: WBTV