Teen ‘thought it would be fun’ to make bomb threat targeting his school, SC police say
A teenager has been charged after a school in Lexington County was targeted with multiple bomb threats, the Cayce Police Department said.
The teen and a juvenile co-conspirator, who are not being publicly identified because of their ages, used a popular gaming app to issue the threat against Airport High School in February 2023, police said Monday in a news release. The teen is a 16-year-old male who used to be a student at Airport High, and the other juvenile now lives out-of-state in Los Angeles, California, according to the release.
The 16-year-old was a student at Airport High at the time of the threats, police spokeswoman Ashley Hunter told The State Tuesday. There was no word if the 16-year-old was expelled, or if there is another reason why he’s no longer enrolled at Airport High.
Information about any previous direct connection that the juvenile in Los Angeles has to the Lexington 2 school was not available.
The school is on Boston Avenue, about 2 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
The 16-year-old and the juvenile in Los Angeles knew of separate bomb threats targeting other Richland County and Lexington County schools and “thought it would be fun do one themselves,” police said.
On Jan. 25, the 16-year-old was charged with student threats in addition to possession, threatened or attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, police said. The juvenile in Los Angeles has not been charged with any crimes, but could be in the future, according to Hunter.
There was no word if the 16-year-old is currently incarcerated, or if he’s in the custody of his parents/guardians.
On Feb. 7, 2023, Airport High was evacuated and searched for any explosive devices as a safety precaution, according to the release.
Police said none were found, and no injuries were reported at the school that was also targeted in threats issued on Feb. 2, 3 and 17 of last year, Hunter said.
But the threats caused the school to be disrupted as students were removed from classes, parents became concerned and both school staff as well as public safety officers were diverted from other responsibilities, according to the release.
“The safety of our students and teachers is a top priority of our officers and each threat was thoroughly investigated,” police said.
That investigation included assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department, 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, and the Allendale Police Department, according to the release.
“We never take charging a juvenile lightly, but we do not hesitate in taking swift action to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and teachers,” Cayce Police Chief Chris Cowan said in the release. “We hope this level of vigilance will deter future acts.”
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This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Teen ‘thought it would be fun’ to make bomb threat targeting his school, SC police say."
