Police in Maryland have identified a 12-year-old pupil as the source of seven false bomb threat claims earlier this month, which caused evacuations at the three schools involved.
The anonymous threats were directed at Montgomery County Public Schools, which is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Baltimore and shares a border with Washington, D.C. According to Montgomery County police, between Oct. 13 and 24, the district received five emailed threats against Montgomery Blair High School, as well as one apiece to Oak View Elementary School and Silver Spring International School.
Montgomery police investigators collaborated with the school district’s information technology team to identify a 12-year-old pupil as the alleged perpetrator of the hoaxes. While investigators stated that the youngster accepted guilt, children under the age of 13 can only be prosecuted with “crimes of violence” in Maryland, according to police.
“It is disheartening to accept that the individual responsible for disrupting the educational process and instilling fear in our community was well aware of the legal limitations surrounding their age,” the police department stated in a statement. “They understood that they could not be charged under current Maryland statutes.”
