Maryland
Maryland teen paid 12-year-old to terrorize schools with bomb threats
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. – A 15-year-old student from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School has been charged in connection with a series of bomb threats that led to a school lockdown and a large-scale police response in early May.
SWAT, K-9 units, and other resources were called to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The Montgomery County Department of Police, in collaboration with the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, identified a 12-year-old boy from Pennsylvania as the individual who made the threatening calls.
The 15-year-old Bethesda student is accused of soliciting the 12-year-old’s help via social media, paying him an undisclosed amount of money to call in the bomb threats.
Authorities also linked the duo to additional bomb threats made against Walt Whitman High School and Bethesda Elementary School on May 17.
The 15-year-old allegedly communicated in real-time with the younger boy during the incident, providing updates and instructions as the threats were being made.
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The caller demanded a specific sum of money to prevent the detonation of bombs at the school.
The threats caused significant disruption, leading to a lockdown and an emotional toll on students, staff, and the community. After a thorough search, no bombs were found, and students were eventually dismissed for the day.
Maryland state law prohibits filing charges against the 12-year-old. However, the 15-year-old has been charged with multiple counts, including threats of mass violence, making a false statement, and extortion.
He was released to the custody of his family following the charges.