Student remains free in Springboro High bomb threat case

Andrew Stadler, 18, is accused of making the threat April

A Springboro High School student will remain free without bond, while awaiting trial on charges alleging he was responsible for evacuation of the school on April 27 and its closing on April 28 due to a bomb threat.

Andrew Stadler, 18, of Springboro is charged in the second in a series of threats by students against their school during the final weeks of the year.

Stadler and his parents were in the courtroom Thursday, but no hearing was held. They declined to comment.

The threats, warning of bombs or shootings, prompted a range of responses in Springboro, Lebanon and Waynesville.

Springboro High was evacuated and then closed, after the April 27 bomb threat, written on a bathroom wall, was found, suggesting a bomb was in the ventilation system. The school was closed the next day so an outside firm could check the ventilation system.

District-wide events were canceled, due to the threat, which like all the others was ultimately found to be false.

In other cases, the school day went on as usual, while others resulted in temporary evacuations.

School officials put the cost of the response at $1,289.65. the monetary loss due to the response is a key point in deciding which level of felony Stadler could be sentenced on.

Stadler was arrested in May 9 and charged in the county court after a joint investigation by school officials and Springboro police.

“I’m very grateful for the staff and students of the Springboro Community School District, who were instrumental in providing information that helped identify the suspect, and the Springboro Police Department for all of their efforts in investigating this case,” Warren County David Fornshell said after the arrest.

Because Stadler is 18, the case was filed in adult court. He was taken to jail and bond was initially set at $350,000. He was indicted by a grand jury on felony charges of inducing panic and making false alarms.

Stadler was arraigned on June 3 in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

Some of the other cases have already been decided, but two are still pending.

An 11-year-old Springboro boy is accused of inducing panic by threatening a school shooting at Five Points Elementary School on May 2. A 15-year-old boy accused of failing to report a crime on May 4 when a bomb threat prompted evacuation of Lebanon High.

Judge Joe Kirby is expected to decide both cases after reviewing filings by the two boys’ lawyers in coming weeks.

Stadler’s next pretrial hearing was scheduled for Aug. 10.

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