On August 26, the Montgomery County Police Department released a statement: “A 15-year-old student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School has been charged in connection with bomb threats made against the school on Thursday, May 16, 2024.” Dr. Mooney issued a community message emphasizing, “This serves as a reminder to students that actions such as making threats may have serious criminal consequences.” The full press release can be found here, and the full statement from Dr. Mooney is here.
The report said that the 15-year-old student paid a 12-year-old boy from Pennsylvania to call in the bomb threat, using social media to communicate and provide real-time updates and instructions as the threats were unfolding. The 15-year-old is facing charges including threats of mass violence, making a false statement, extortion, and other felony charges. At this time, he has been released to his parents.
