TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A 14-year-old boy in Defiance County and a 13-year-old Anthony Wayne Junior High School student are facing charges after investigators said they made threatening comments toward their schools on social media.
If its a joke or a true threat, law enforcement and the Lucas county prosecutors office are not taking the matter lightly. This is a zero tolerance issue. Prosecutors and police say kids will be held responsible and pay the price.
TPD Chief George Kral said all cases will be investigated and the person responsible will be held accountable.
Prosecutors and police will work to charge the person responsible with felonies. Charges from inducing panic, to making a terroristic threat would lead to an immediate arrest, time behind bars while awaiting court hearings and eventually the possibility of prison.
"Uber sensitive is the way we will be forever. We need to get the word out that this is not something these kids, or adults for that matter, need to be doing. If you put something out there saying you are going to shoot a school up or any public place, we are going to be on it very quickly and we will leave no stones unturned," said Chief Kral.
Inducing panic at a school, which is a possible charge for anyone who makes a threat, is a felony of the second degree. If found guilty, that person could face two to eight years in prison with a $15,000.
Law enforcement can also enlist the help of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to help identify where online threats originate. The BCI can be reached for investigative help at 855-BCI-OHIO.
