Full Notification

At approximately 11:57 A.M. school officials from the Columbia Senior/Junior High School learned from a student of a written threat, found on a small note in a classroom. Both the student that had claimed to have found the note, as well as the student that was mentioned on the note were both immediately brought to the office by school staff, and were segregated. Simultaneously, contact was made with Columbia Township Police, who arrived a few minutes after the call

Officers and school staff made an initial determination that the probable viability of the threat was very low. The story of the student that claimed to have found the note was found to not be true, and in conclusion she admitted to having written the note herself.

The decision to not dismiss school early was due to the quick resolution of the investigation, the initial determination of low probability of the threat being viable, immediate segregation of the two students possibly related to the incident, and to keep disruption at the school and of the students to a minimum.

The 13 year-old student was taken into custody and was transported to the Jackson County Courthouse for a hearing before a juvenile court referee. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has issued a petition of a “False Report or Threat of Terrorism”, a 20 year felony.

It is noteworthy to mention that a parent of each of the two students was extremely helpful in resolving the incident. It is also important to remind students (and parents) of the serious nature of threats such as this, as highlighted in a recent letter from Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka. Threats such as this do have consequences, and will be investigated and prosecuted.