A juvenile has been arrested and charged with a felony after threatening Central Hardin High School students.
At approximately 10:30 Wednesday night, the Elizabethtown Police Department was contacted by the FBI’s Threat Assessment Center concerning a threat made toward students of Central Hardin High School, according to Elizabethtown PD Public Affairs Officer Chris Denham.
“Within five minutes of receiving the initial report, we located and made contact with the suspect,” Denham said.
The ensuing investigation resulted in the juvenile being charged with second-degree terroristic threatening. The juvenile was lodged in a juvenile detention center.
“Throughout the investigative process, we were in frequent contact with the leadership team from Hardin County Schools,” Denham noted. “At no time was the safety of any students or staff compromised. This positive outcome is a direct result of open dialogue between local and federal partners. I hope this sends a strong message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
According to KRS 508.078, a person is guilty of second-degree terroristic threatening when:
He or she intentionally: (a) With respect to any scheduled, publicly advertised event open to the public, any place of worship, or any school function, threatens to commit any act likely to result in death or serious physical injury to any person at a scheduled, publicly advertised event open to the public, any person at a place of worship, or any student group, teacher, volunteer worker, or employee of a public or private elementary or secondary school, vocational school, or institution of postsecondary education, or to any other person reasonably expected to lawfully be on school property or at a school-sanctioned activity, if the threat is related to their employment by a school, or work or attendance at school, or a school function. A threat directed at a person or persons at a scheduled, publicly advertised event open to the public, place of worship, or school does not need to identify a specific person or persons or school in order for a violation of this section to occur;
(b) Makes false statements by any means, including by electronic communication, indicating that an act likely to result in death or serious physical injury is occurring or will occur for the purpose of:
- Causing evacuation of a school building, school property, or school[1]sanctioned activity;
- Causing cancellation of school classes or school-sanctioned activity; or
- Creating fear of death or serious physical injury among students, parents, or school personnel;
(c) Makes false statements that he or she has placed a weapon of mass destruction at any location other than one specified in KRS 508.075; or
(d) Without lawful authority places a counterfeit weapon of mass destruction at any location other than one specified in KRS 508.075.
(2) A counterfeit weapon of mass destruction is placed with lawful authority if it is placed as part of an official training exercise by a public servant, as defined in KRS 522.010.
(3) A person is not guilty of commission of an offense under this section if he or she, innocently and believing the information to be true, communicates a threat made by another person to school personnel, a peace officer, a law enforcement agency, a public agency involved in emergency response, or a public safety answering point and identifies the person from whom the threat was communicated, if known.
(4) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, terroristic threatening in the second degree is a Class D felony.
(5) Terroristic threatening in the second degree is a Class C felony when, in addition to violating subsection (1) of this section, the person intentionally engages in substantial conduct required to prepare for or carry out the threatened act, including but not limited to gathering weapons, ammunition, body armor, vehicles, or materials required to manufacture a weapon of mass destruction.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
