It seems there are some teens and schools who don’t recognize the Super Smash Bros. logo. At one high school in Sabina, Ohio, students became alarmed after one student wrote on the whiteboard, “Dec 7th Time to [the Super Smash Bros. logo],” as seen below. Many students thought it was a threat of a school shooting. At first, it was reported to the school who deemed there was something amiss. Then, of course, other students took to online and began spreading serious rumors that someone was going to start shooting up the school on that Friday. It seems no one put two and two together that the date happened to be the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The student meant no harm

The logo appeared two days in a row, prompting four fellow female classmates to report it and take pictures of it. The school’s Principal Kerri Matheny spoke to the male student who drew it on the board. It was also stated to Buzzfeed News via email from Eric Magee, the school’s superintendent, that the logo appeared on Nov. 29 and 30.

this is a real document sent out to everyone that attends my school pic.twitter.com/VTWFbMeQXF — moved 🙂 (@nuzfungus) December 5, 2018

The student after being questioned stated he “did not mean to cause an alarm.” The principal told the four original girls who reported the logo that it was from a video game and believed they understood and that the matter was done with. Then rumors spread and the sherriff’s department became involved. The students gossiped that on Dec. 7, 2018, the same student who drew the logo was actually going to come and shoot up the entire school. What’s really sad about this is after this student was interviewed again about his intentions, he said he knew everyone thought he was weird but that he would never hurt anyone.

The school’s superintendent ultimately sent an email out to students and parents saying there was no need for alarm and there was no threat. “The statement on the board was merely a statement of anticipation for the release of this new video game,” Magee stated. You have to applaud them for taking it seriously, but one would also feel a sense of compassion for the student at the center of all this. He simply wanted to share how excited he was for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and it was taken completely out of context. Hopefully, he still got to enjoy playing the game after all the drama.