MCPD has charged a 15-year-old student from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in connection with bomb threats made in May against three schools in Bethesda.
On May 16, B-CC went on lockdown for three hours after receiving an anonymous threat that mentioned a bomb and a rifle. The next day, Whitman and Bethesda Elementary received anonymous bomb threat calls, prompting immediate action from local authorities. Similar to the previous incident at B-CC, police concluded that the threats were unfounded and confirmed that the schools were safe after sweeping the area.
The charges against the unnamed 15-year-old include threats of mass violence, making false statements and extortion. The state of Maryland released the teen back into his family’s custody. Additionally, in collaboration with the FBI, MCPD identified a 12-year-old boy from Pennsylvania as the anonymous caller behind these threats. Authorities linked both individuals to the threats against B-CC, Whitman and Bethesda Elementary School.
The B-CC student enlisted the 12-year-old through social media and provided him with instructions and updates during the threats. According to Montgomery County Police, the young boy demanded money from the schools to prevent the fake bombs from exploding. Maryland State Law prohibits charges against him.
Whitman Head of Security Mitchell Dove expressed concern about the threats and emphasized the importance of ensuring community safety.
“It doesn’t just affect the kids in the school; it affects the whole community and it affects the way the police have to take those calls because now they’re pulled away from other important calls,” Dove said. “The important thing is that we are keeping everyone in this school safe and keeping everyone outside the school safe, in the community.”
At an August Board of Education meeting, MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance Marcus Jones shared data that there had been 84 cases of false alarms and bomb threats in MCPS in the 2023-24 school year, an increase of 11% from the previous school year. The data also showed 221 incidents that included weapons, a 30% increase from the 2022-23 school year. Jones shared that many of the threat calls came from outside Montgomery County, often out of the state and occasionally from out of the country.
Hundreds of schools nationwide have experienced hoax calls over the past few years. These “swatting” efforts have included bomb threats and shooting threats, drawing heavily armed responses.
B-CC Junior Avital Baer worries about continued threats but expresses gratitude towards the situation’s outcome.
“I’m concerned that someone my age, from my school, was capable of doing this so easily,” Baer said. “But I am happy with how quickly Montgomery County law enforcement responded and I hope this doesn’t happen again.”
