Montgomery County police said Thursday they’ve charged a 17-year-old boy with threats of mass violence and a hate crime.
The charges stem from a voicemail targeting an unnamed county school on Tuesday, March 18, police said. Montgomery County police declined to name the school that was targeted and said that because the boy charged is a minor, the case will be handled by the Department of Juvenile Services.
According to Montgomery County police, the voicemail contained threats directed toward the school principal and “various demographic and religious groups.”
It’s the second time in a month that a teenager in Montgomery County has been charged with making threats directed at a school.
Last month, a 13-year-old student was charged with threats of mass violence and disruption of school activities. In that case, police said the suspect called Parkland Middle School, saying he intended to carry out a school shooting. That case will also be handled by the Department of Juvenile Services.
In its 2024 annual report on bias and hate crimes, the Montgomery County Police Department reported 483 bias incidents and, of those, 60% were school-related. In those cases, 53% were directed at individuals and 47% targeted school grounds or property.
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