STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office arrested a juvenile who threatened to bomb and shoot students at Brooke Point High School in Stafford County.
The 15-year-old male has received petitions for one count of threats to bomb or damage a building and one count of committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism. The subject, who is not being named due to his age, is currently incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Detention Center.
Authorities say the school resource officer at Brooke Point High received a call from Principal Scott McClellan around 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, saying that he had received tips from parents concerning a possible threat to bomb the school and shoot individuals.
One student told the principal that a 15-year-old male had told her that he planned to bomb and “shoot up” Brooke Point High School. The 15-year-old also supposedly told that same student that he would shoot her if she did not accept the gun he was going to bring her to help him carry out his plan, according to authorities.
The threat was apparently brought up during the school day. Thanks to students reporting the threat to parents, and the quick reporting from parents to school officials, along with the fast action of the school principal, multiple Stafford deputies and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division, an investigation began that very same afternoon and evening.
Detectives met with the teen at his home. They also interviewed several students who had overheard the 15-year-old make the threats. After speaking with the accused juvenile, authorities say “it was clear that the threats had in fact been made.”
A search warrant was executed at the young man’s residence. Guns and rifles were found in the home, but were secured and locked.
“None were missing or appeared to have been accessed,” authorities say.
Additionally, no written plan or “manifesto” was found when the search warrant was executed and no evidence was found indicating that the plan to bomb or ‘shoot up’ the school was actually going to happen the next day.
A second search warrant was executed on the 15-year-old’s computer and social networking sites.
“Preliminary reviews did not disclose any additional threat or information,” authorities said in a press release Thursday. “However, as a result of the ongoing investigation, the young man was charged and incarcerated at the Juvenile Detention Center on the night of October 27.”
The Sheriff’s Department said that the motives for the threats appeared to stem from the teen’s “depression and anger towards fellow students.” The young man was angry because he had difficulties developing relationships with fellow students.
“The potential danger of this type of threat cannot be over stated,” states Sheriff Charles Jett. “The notification by concerned students and parents coupled with the immediate action by the Principal of Brooke Point High School to the School Resource Officer initiated a timely response and investigation that resulted in an arrest. The close relationship of the Sheriff’s Office and Stafford County Public Schools has allowed for the creation of a plan that, when needed, rapidly deploys many resources to alleviate any possible danger to a school.”
“We understand our community may have questions regarding these types of situations as they happen. We want the public to be assured that along with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, we are working in the best interest and for the safety of all our students. As in all ongoing investigations, the school division cannot comment,” states Dr. Bruce Benson, Superintendent of Stafford County public Schools. “We appreciate the positive relationship we enjoy with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Jett. We thank the Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering support of our schools which provides a level of safety and security for our entire community.”
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office wants to take this opportunity to remind parents and students the importance of immediately reporting any possible threat to a school or its students.
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