The boy is accused of hanging up after making two 911 calls Friday near the school and a third call claiming “someone had a gun” at the school.
RELATED: Springboro student facing charges connected to lockdown during junior-high dance
The owner of the phone, located at the dance, said she lost the phone “shortly after arriving,” according to charging documents filed in the court in Lebanon.
School officials were able to find the boy, who had been the last person with the phone at the time the 911 call was made and admitted to making the 911 calls, according to the complaint filed Saturday by Springboro Police Officer Officer Scott Coffey.
The student was arrested and taken to the juvenile detention center, said Springboro Police Chief Jeff Kruithoff.
The district said it will assess any potential discipline for the student, following Monday’s arraignment, district spokesman Scott Marshall said.
Officers responded to the school about 8:10 p.m. Friday after receiving several 9-1-1 hang-up calls that were traced to a location near the junior high school. Soon after, the district said police received another 9-1-1 call stating that there was a weapon or gun at the junior high dance.
“The Springboro Police Department arrived at SJHS, began a sweep of the building, and requested to have all students/staff safely moved to designated classrooms while the sweep occurred,”Marshall said.
The threat was deemed to not be credible and no weapon or gun was found on campus, Marshall added.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Springboro and Clearcreek Township Police Departments, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the cooperation of our students, parents, and Springboro community during the event that occurred Friday,” Marshall said.
It was the latest case of a false threat involving a gun in the Springboro schools.
On Nov. 7, a former Springboro High School freshman was ordered to complete 25 hours of community service and comply with other conditions of sentencing for inducing panic at this school in August.
RELATED: Community service, probation for student who induced panic at Springboro
It was the boy’s second juvenile conviction related to false school threats involving bringing guns to school.
In the August case, the boy’s comment to a student in math class to wear red to school the next day to avoid being shot was repeated in the locker room at football practice and passed along to an assistant coach who alerted police.
In October 2018, the boy sent a Snapchat, showing him holding a firearm, to a friend at lunch at the junior high, captioned, “Should I bring to school?”
Kirby suspended a 90-day sentence in local detention.
After a trial, the judge found the boy guilty of a lesser-included inducing panic charge, preventing him from facing a possible term in state detention.
On Monday, prosecutors indicated they would be seeking a special prosecutor in the case. Through his lawyer, Martin Hubbell, the boy denied the allegations.
Kirby deferred to the school district “as to whether or not he he may have any association or contact with or enter on the premises of the Springboro City School District.”
At the hearing, district officials indicated they hadn’t decided whether he would be barred from school grounds.
“The student remains in custody. At the time the student is no longer in custody, Springboro Schools will be able to conduct its own investigation. During this investigation process, the student will not be permitted onto the premises of Springboro Junior High School, or any Springboro Schools’ building,” Marshall said in an email.
WHIO-TV Reporter John Bedell contributed to this report.
About the Author
