Arrest in James M. Bennett Bomb Threat
A 13 year old girl has been charged with calling a bomb threat to James M. Bennett High School just before 9:30 on Wednesday morning. Members of the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies as well as K9 officers checked the building for threats but found no explosive device on school property. Deputies were able to identify where the call originated and located a 13 year old girl who attends a different school. During questioning the teen confessed to making the call and charged with threat of mass violence.
The Wicomico County School District released this statement following the arrest:
“Wicomico County Public Schools wants to thank the various law enforcement agencies and first responders that helped to handle Wednesday’s bomb threat at James M. Bennett High School, and supported school and school system staff in keeping our students and staff safe. We truly appreciate their work both that day and during the ongoing investigation. Just one day later an arrest was made in this case, showing what can be accomplished when the community and school system and law enforcement work together.
James M. Bennett’s staff, under the leadership of Principal Christel Savage, dealt with this urgent situation quickly and calmly, and they are to be commended. Despite the concerning phone call, students were never in any danger as nothing actually occurred on campus.
We are grateful for the work of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, School Resource Officers, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and K-9 units, all of whom helped in securing the grounds and making sure the building was safe for our students and staff to return to their regular school schedule.
Wicomico Schools would also like to thank our students and staff at James M. Bennett for their cooperation in making the best out of this situation. Thanks to our Transportation, Technology, Food Service, and Maintenance & Operations departments for their excellent work.
It is important to note that the arrest in this case might not have been possible without input from the community. This shows how “See Something, Say Something” is not just a slogan, but an approach that really works to support safety.”
