A 14-year-old Bellefontaine High School student was charged Friday, Nov. 1, with inducing panic after a reportedly off-hand threat about having access to firearms was reported to officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department.
The student reportedly made the comment during a fourth period math class after classmates repeatedly said his last name, which apparently irritated him. He reportedly responded by stating, “I got guns, you better stop,” and repeated the phrase twice.
The incident was initially reported to BHS administrators by the classroom teacher. The boy admitted to making the comment out of frustration and said it was never intended as a serious threat.
Following the school’s report, Bellefontaine police requested a follow-up house visit to assess the student’s access to weapons and inform his family of the potential charge for inducing panic. Deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office conducted the check, and verified that the student had no access to firearms and relaying the charges to the family. In a later call with officers, the student’s parents indicated the comment was intended as a joke.
The case has been referred to the Logan County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office for further review.