Story by Daniel Woods
HEDGESVILLE, W.Va – At approximately 9:08 am on Thursday, Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a bomb threat at Hedgesville High School that came in through an online reporting system.
Once on scene, deputies worked with school officials to evacuate staff and students before bomb detecting K-9s arrived and did a sweep of the school. There were no explosive devices detected during the sweep and students were able to go back into the school afterwards and resume classes.
Investigators with the Criminal Investigation Division immediately started investigating the threat and they, along with the assistance of the West Virginia Fusion Center, were able to develop a suspect, reported by BCSD to be a juvenile student at another high school in Berkeley County.
Investigators located the student and interviewed him once his parents arrived at the school and were able to determine that the juvenile did not have the means to carry out the threat.
The juvenile will be charged criminally with terroristic threats for making the bomb threat.
Sheriff Rob Blair thanked West Virginia State Police, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Martinsburg Police Department, Frederick County, VA Fire, West Virginia Fusion Center, and West Virginia Fusion Center director, Jack Luikart for their assistance.