Battle Ground teen boy arrested in school threats

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. – A 13-year-old boy accused of threatening to “shoot up” and “blow up” his middle school, shoot a teacher and kill himself was arrested Wednesday after the threats prompted the closure of six southwest Washington schools, police said.

The closures affected nearly 4,300 students. The schools will resume classes today.

The boy “doesn’t have the means to carry out the threats he made,” Battle Ground police Lt. Roy Butler said in a telephone interview.

The student, who is enrolled at Chief Umtuch Middle School in Battle Ground, was interviewed by detectives and arrested, then released to his parents, who were cooperating with the investigation, Butler said.

Police seized the boy’s computer.

In an initial email sent Tuesday, the boy threatened suicide, Butler said.

In a subsequent email, “he threatened to shoot up the school, blow up the school and shoot a teacher,” the officer said, adding he did not know why a specific male teacher was named in the threat.

There were no specific threats against other students, Butler said.

Police said their investigation will be forwarded to the Clark County juvenile prosecutor with a recommendation for charges of felony harassment.