13-Year-Old FMS Student Charged For ‘Prank’ Threat
A 13-year-old Franklin Middle School student has been charged for making a prank threat against the school on December 14.
The student was charged with 3rd Degree Creating a False Public Alarm, according to a press release from the Franklin Township Police Department.
The FTPD was alerted by district officials about a text message, circulating among some students, that threatened a violent act against the FMS Hamilton Street campus, according to the release.
School Resource Officers and FTPD detectives investigated and quickly determined from where the text came, and that the threat was not credible.
Further investigation led to the 13-year-old student, according to the release. The case was screened with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, and the charges were authorized, according to the release.
“Incidents such as these will not be tolerated,” schools Superintendent John Ravally said in the release. “We will continue to work with the Franklin Township Police Department to ensure the safety and security of our student body, staff, and visitors. We urge parents to discuss with their children that incidents like this are serious and will always be referred to law enforcement.”
“I am proud of the swift and sure actions of our officers,” township Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather said in the release. “Through their hard work and dedication, they were able to quickly determine that this was not a credible threat. Incidents such as these put a tremendous stress on emergency services. I hope that young people will begin to realize that what they deem as a ‘prank’ has very real consequences.”