A 12-year-old in Maryland sent seven bomb threats to various schools, knowingly avoiding charges due to age-related legal limitations, police revealed Wednesday.
The teenager emailed bomb threats to three separate Montgomery County Public Schools from Oct. 13 to Oct. 24. The police investigation aided by information from IT staff at the school district identified the minor as the perpetrator, according to a statement by Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones.
In a conversation with detectives from the 3rd District Investigative Section, the 12-year-old admitted to having sent the bomb threats, Jones noted. (RELATED: School Gets Second Bomb Threat In Less Than A Week)
A 12-year-old responsible for emailing seven bomb threats to Maryland schools this month knew that a state law would prevent authorities from bringing charges, police say. https://t.co/ilx3BPL94J
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 25, 2023
The state law in Maryland states that minors below the age of 13 can be charged only for offenses amounting to “crimes of violence,” a legal provision that the juvenile allegedly exploited, according to Jones.
“It is disheartening to accept that the individual responsible for disrupting the educational process and instilling fear in our community was well aware of the legal limitations surrounding their age,” the statement reads. “They understood that they could not be charged under current Maryland statutes”