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Officers of the Washington Township Police Department report an Indian Lake Middle School student was arrested Thursday morning related to an alleged verbal threat that was made Wednesday relating to violence against other students.
A 13-year-old Huntsville area girl was placed under arrest at the school and was charged with inducing panic. She was lodged in the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center. Indian Lake Schools were in session Thursday, with extra police patrols and caution exercised, and the district provided the following statement via Facebook about 11 a.m. Thursday and also through the district’s notification system:
“An Indian Lake Middle School student is in police custody after having an inappropriate conversation related to violence. Washington Township Police were on campus prior to the start of school as a precaution.
“Police and school administrators have thoroughly investigated the incident and found that no students or staff members were in danger. Indian Lake Local Schools continue to take seriously any discussion of violence on campus and take appropriate measures to ensure school safety.”
About 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, officers received a report from a concerned parent regarding a student who was potentially involved in a conversation involving a school threat, Washington Township Police Chief Rick Core said.
Officers were then in contact with Indian Lake Schools administrators, who also had been made aware of the threat. School officials and police officers continued to work late into the evening to investigate the threat.
Several students were interviewed at the middle school Thursday morning, and officers were informed that the defendant allegedly had a conversation with at least one other student, where she threatened violence against several other named students.
The 13-year-old girl was escorted off the school bus when she arrived at the school and was interviewed by officers. She also admitted to having the conversation with another student that detailed violence, the police chief said. She was then placed under arrest.
“We don’t have the luxury of knowing whether a student has the means to carry out threats, and we have to take all threats of violence very seriously,” Chief Core said.