A third grader is facing a criminal charge after reportedly making bomb threats against two Ohio schools.
Using a fake Facebook account, the girl allegedly claimed bombs had been planted inside Lorain’s Clearview High School and Durling Middle School, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office told local TV station WOIO.
Authorities did not clarify when the Facebook threats were made, but both schools — and the entire Clearview Local School District — were closed on Thursday, Dec. 12, as the sheriff’s office and FBI searched for explosives.
The incident was deemed a false alarm and, after no bombs were discovered, things were back to normal at the schools on Friday, Dec. 13, WOIO reported.
Clearview High School in Lorain, Ohio.
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Police told WOIO that the third grader, whose name and age were not disclosed, admitted to not only the recent threats but also another one she made in September.
She has been charged with inducing panic in connection with the social media posts, police told the outlet. Her parents, meanwhile, have not been charged.
In addition to her criminal charge, the third grader was referred to the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Assessment Center, the school district’s superintendent, Dr. Jerome Davis, told WOIO.
Located in Cincinnati, the center is “designed to keep children from becoming entrenched in the juvenile justice system,” according to its website.
Davis and Clearview High School Principal Noeleen Rothacker did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, nor did the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
Durling Middle School in Lorain, Ohio.
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Speaking with WOIO, members of the community reacted to the bomb threats — and the fact that they were made by an elementary school student.
“I almost didn’t think it was real, to be honest, to have someone that young,” Jacob Kyle, a coach at the middle school, told the outlet.
“Seeing these kids and having kids in this school nowadays is, it’s not what you want to hear especially someone that young to have access to that social media,” Kyle continued, adding that “it’s very upsetting.”
A mother of a Durling student, who wished to remain anonymous, also spoke with the outlet about the incident.
“It’s really sad,” she said, explaining that she thinks “parents should have a little more involvement in what their kids are doing.”
