Charlotte man released days before school year despite indictment for school shooting threats
Drew Andres Owens was freed from Mecklenburg County Jail on Aug. 22, just three days before Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools reopen, after being indicted on five felony counts for threatening mass shootings at five local schools.
Mecklenburg County officials released Drew Andres Owens from jail on Aug. 22, hours before Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools were set to resume classes on Aug. 25. Owens, 33, had been indicted in March 2025 on five felony counts for communicating threats of mass violence on educational property, including four email threats sent on Feb. 15, 2025, targeting West Charlotte High, Ardrey Kell High, Community House Middle and Hawk Ridge Elementary, and a separate mailed threat to Garinger High School.
He has pleaded not guilty and remains under pre-trial bond conditions, with the bond for the four-school case reduced from $135,000 to $60,000 in May 2026 and a $15,000 bond for the Garinger case. Court records show a professional surety posted the $60,000 bond shortly before his release. Owens' father, Darryl Owens, a West Charlotte ROTC instructor, informed police that he believed his son was behind the threats and described a pattern of harassment. Following the release, several parents voiced concerns about safety as the new school year begins.
Why it matters
The release of a suspect accused of school shooting threats raises safety concerns just as the new school year starts.
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