A state senator wants Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools forced to tell families when threats target their children's schools.
Sen. Woodson Bradley renewed her push Wednesday, Aug. 26, five days after Drew Andres Owens, 33, posted a $75,000 bond and left the Mecklenburg County jail. Owens is accused of threatening Ardrey Kell High School and Community House Middle School, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Bradley, a Democrat representing District 42, called the bond reduction "outrageous" in a news release. She said Owens has caused "significant emotional harm" to the community and could remain a danger to CMS students. Bradley's district includes portions of south Charlotte, Mint Hill and Matthews.
Owens had been detained since February 2025 on five counts of communicating mass threats of violence. He allegedly threatened shootings at five CMS schools: Ardrey Kell, Community House, Hawk Ridge Elementary, Garinger High School and West Charlotte High School.
The CMS 2026-27 school year started Tuesday, Aug. 25. Owens is under electronic monitoring and banned from all CMS property, the district said in a statement that day.
What the bill would do
Bradley introduced Senate Bill 782, the Safe Schools Transparency Act, in April. The bill would require schools to notify families of threats and safety plans, establish penalties for districts that fail to notify parents, reinstate the Task Force for Safer Schools and create a School Safety Fund.
The bill passed its first reading in the North Carolina Senate but stalled after being referred to committees, according to WCNC. No hearing date is scheduled.
Bradley said the bill was held up by "far-right leadership" despite bipartisan support and that parents have reached out asking why it hasn't been brought to a vote.
Ardrey Kell parent wants answers
Tonia Williams, the mother of an Ardrey Kell student, was quoted in Bradley's release calling for more information about Owens' release.
"Parents deserve clear answers about what changed in the assessment of his risk, what restrictions and monitoring are currently in place, and what additional security measures are being taken at the schools that were specifically threatened," Williams said.
CMS sent a letter to parents at Hawk Ridge Elementary notifying them of Owens' release and the campus ban, WSOC-TV reported. Whether families at Ardrey Kell or Community House received similar notification is unclear.
That communication gap is central to Bradley's argument. When the original threats surfaced in February 2025, parents said they learned about them from the news. CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill apologized in March 2025 for the delay and said the district would improve how it communicates threats to families.
Bond history and conditions
Owens' bond was initially set at $10,000 in 2025, then raised to $200,000 by a judge. It was later reduced in May 2026, though the reason has not been made public. He posted $75,000 to secure his release on Friday, Aug. 21.
Court documents state Owens also threatened to kill his father, who worked at West Charlotte High School.
Owens' next court appearance is unresolved. WCNC reported a Dec. 24 court date, while the Charlotte Observer reported a jury trial scheduled for that date was canceled.
SB 782 remains in Senate committees with no vote scheduled.
