Bomb threat spurs evacuation of Conifer High

An alleged bomb threat made by a 14-year-old Conifer High School student on a bus Tuesday morning prompted law enforcement officials to evacuate the school for close to an hour to ensure the safety of students.

The juvenile was traveling to school on a bus Tuesday morning when he allegedly told a younger middle school student that he had an explosive device inside a briefcase, according to Jefferson County sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley.

When the younger student arrived at West Jefferson Middle School, he notified authorities at 8:30 a.m.

The bus had already arrived at the high school by the time a handful of officers, including a bomb squad, arrived. Students were evacuated to the parking lot as a precaution, Kelley said.

The boy was identified and his locker searched. The case he was carrying was a camera case, Kelley said. It had a camera in it but no explosive device. Within an hour, students were back in class.

The student has been taken into custody and faces at least one charge of false reporting of explosives, which is a felony, Kelley said. He will be transported to Mount View Detention Center.

“There may be other charges; that is just the one I know of right now,” she said.

When a student issues such a threat, it is taken seriously by law enforcement across the country, she said, though the details of each case may be handled differently.

“We will take the necessary precautions every time,” Kelly said. “Based on the information received, this was the appropriate action to be taken.”