LOWELL, Mich. — A 15-year-old boy is accused of sharing an unfounded bomb threat that prompted a soft lockdown at Lowell High School on Tuesday.
The threat was identified in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning by the school's resource officer. A soft lockdown was implemented and deputies were called to the school, including the investigative division and an explosives detection K9.
Deputies say the suspect, a 15-year-old boy who does not attend Lowell Public Schools, was identified and interviewed within six hours.
The school went into the soft lockdown at 11:41 a.m. and the all-clear was given nearly two hours later at 1:12 p.m.
On Thursday, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office authorized a juvenile petition for False Report or Threat of a Bomb/Harmful Device, which is a four-year felony.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office said these incidents are taken very seriously.
"Our school resource officers see several of these types of social media threats take place each year. In general, most teens do not intend to carry out these acts," reads a statement from the department. "However, these types of threats create a substantial disruption in people’s lives, cause needless stress and worry amongst students, staff and parents."
Lowell Public Schools is urging parents and guardians to be active in their children's social media lives and warns that social media platforms can be the root cause of difficult situations involving students.
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