A teenager is facing charges after allegedly joking that he had a bomb in his backpack at West Columbus High School.
The threat came just days after an anonymous call about a bomb on the West Columbus School campus led to the school being closed for several hours and classes being delayed.
The sheriff’s office was called at 9:15 a.m. on March 6 after the 15-year-old male is alleged to have told classmates he had a bomb.
“The School Resource Officer immediately responded to the classroom and removed the student from the building to ensure the safety of students and staff,” the sheriff’s office reported. “The situation was quickly secured, and no explosive device was found.”
The student said the comment was intended as a joke, the report said, but “due to the seriousness of the statement and recent threats to schools across the region, the incident was treated as a credible safety concern.”
A juvenile petition was sought, and the boy was taken into custody and confined in a juvenile facility.
“The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats involving schools seriously and will respond accordingly to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff,” she sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The bomb threat at West Columbus School on March 3delayed classes while deputies with bomb-sniffing dogs searched the campus.
