US News
Charlotte man charged with threatening mass school violence released on bond before school year starts
Drew Andres Owens satisfied pretrial bond conditions and was released three days before Charlotte-Mecklenburg students returned to class.
The short version
- Drew Andres Owens, 33, was released from Mecklenburg County Jail on August 22 after posting bond ahead of the August 25 start of the school year.
- Owens faces five felony counts of communicating threats of mass violence on educational property, involving five Charlotte-area public schools.
- Court records show a judge reduced Owens' bond in one of his pending cases from $135,000 to $60,000 in May 2026, alongside a separate $15,000 bond.
Key facts
- Drew Andres Owens was released from custody at 11:30 a.m. on August 22, 2026, after meeting court-ordered bond conditions.[Fox News]
- A Mecklenburg County grand jury indicted Owens in March 2025 on five felony counts of communicating threats of mass violence on educational property.[Fox News]
- Four of the counts allege Owens sent emails threatening West Charlotte High School, Ardrey Kell High School, Community House Middle School, and Hawk Ridge Elementary School.[Fox News]
- A fifth count involves a mailed threat targeting Garinger High School.[Fox News]
- Owens pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the cases remain pending.[Fox News]
- A judge reduced Owens' bond in the four-school case from $135,000 to $60,000 on May 1, 2026, which was subsequently posted by a professional surety.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It is not immediately clear if Owens currently has legal representation.[Fox News]