CARIBOU, Maine — Police charged a 13-year-old Caribou Middle School student with Class D terrorizing on Tuesday after finding physical evidence linking him to a bomb threat written in the school bathroom, according to Chief Michael Gahagan.
Gahagan said Thursday that police received the call Tuesday afternoon as students were about ready to leave for the day. The chief would not say exactly what was written in the bathroom but indicated that the bomb threat was for a day in the future. Because of that, and the timing of the call, classes were not cut short.
“At no time were any students or staff in danger,” Gahagan wrote in a press release, “with the quick action by the school administration and the collaboration with the Caribou Police, this incident was proven to be false.”
The student, who police are not naming because he is a minor, was referred to the juvenile division of the state Department of Corrections and released to his parents.
The chief said this is the first direct threat to a school the Caribou Police Department has dealt with this year. He said there were suspicions of a potential shooting threat at Caribou High School earlier this month that originated with text messages sent amongst students and spurred on by unsubstantiated rumors.
Gahagan added that, in light of Wednesday’s school shooting in Florida, any potential threat should be taken seriously.
“Unfortunately we live in a world where some people do and say things just to see what would happen,” he wrote, “but we all know that bad things do happen in this world. With that said, “If you see something, say something.” Tell a teacher, parent or just someone that you trust, but tell someone. Maybe bad things can be stopped before they happen.”
