According to Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office Chief Deputy Greg Wright, three juveniles were taken into custody in connection to the two bomb threats at local schools.
“The Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office deputies, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshall Service, have taken into custody three juveniles and we will be charging them,” Wright said. “We”ve also recovered evidence regarding the bomb threat called into New Hope and the bomb threat called into Columbus Middle.”
Two of the juveniles are ages 15 years old and one is 14 years old, Wright said, noting the phones used to make the threats were recovered.
Wright said the charges are pending, but one charge in particular the juveniles could be facing is false reporting of placing explosives. Wright said the charge is a felony with each count carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections and a $10,000 fine.
”For each phone call, that”s a count,” Wright said. “Granted these are juveniles, but that”s what they could be charged with.”
Columbus Middle School evacuated Friday morning after 911 received a call at 7:58 a.m. reporting a sniper and bomb threat.
According to Columbus Police Department Investigator Raymond Hackler, the caller said if students or teachers tried leaving the building, shots would be fired or the bomb would be detonated.
Students re-entered the building around 12:30 p.m. after nothing was found.
New Hope schools were evacuated Thursday afternoon due to a bomb threat called in to 911.
Two calls were placed to 911 at approximately 3:08 p.m. stating there was a bomb at the school. Many students had already left the campus by bus or private car since school dismisses at 3 p.m. The remaining students and teachers were routed to the football field while deputies waited for four canine units to search the elementary, middle and high schools for explosives.
Wright said Friday morning that no trace of explosives, suspicious packages, items or people were found.
Searches were done by canines from the Columbus Air Force Base, Wright said.
“I certainly appreciate the help from the Air Force Base and Mississippi Highway Patrol,” he said.
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