UPDATED: Juvenile Charged after Wicomico Middle School Bomb Threat Thursday

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested a 12 year old girl in connection with a bomb threat that was called in to the office at Wicomico Middle School on Thursday morning.  The school was evacuated and inspected – interrupting classes for nearly 4 hours before the school was deemed safe.  During the investigation – deputies developed a suspect who they learned made the call from an adjacent off-campus location and watched the response.  The juvenile is charged with threat of mass violence, threat to explode a destructive device and disturbing school operations.

The Wicomico County School District released this statement:

Wicomico County Public Schools wants to thank the various law enforcement agencies and first responders that helped to handle Thursday’s bomb threat at Wicomico Middle School, and keeping our students and staff safe. Just one day later an arrest has been made in this case, showing what can be accomplished when the community and law enforcement work together.

Wicomico Middle School’s staff, under the leadership of Principal Tara O’Barsky, dealt with this urgent situation quickly and calmly, and they are to be commended. The rapid response to and ensuing collaboration by multiple agencies that followed was highly effective, and truly a model for future events. Thanks to the Wicomico Sheriff’s Office, School Resource Officers, Salisbury Fire Department, Salisbury City Police, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department, Delmar Police, Maryland State Police, and K-9 units called in from around the region, all whom helped in securing the grounds and making sure the building was safe for our students and staff to return to school.

Wicomico Schools would also like to thank our students and staff 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. We’d like to give a giant thank you to everyone at Parkway Church of God, which served as the initial relocation site for Wicomico Middle students and staff, and to our own Wicomico High School, which housed more than 800 adults and students from the middle school in its auditorium and provided invaluable access to equipment and other support.

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.