Student arrested, charged for planting fake bomb at Ohio high school

LOGAN — A Logan High School student was arrested in connection to authorities finding a “suspicious” object resembling a pipe bomb on school grounds Wednesday.

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The Logan-Hocking School District found a “suspicious device” Wednesday morning, just before 11 a.m., causing local law enforcement agents—from both the city and school campus—to react, a spokesperson from the school district stated.

The Logan Police Department, Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, Logan Fire Department, and Ohio State Highway Patrol were alerted when an unknown person pulled a fire alarm while students were protesting. During a search of the campus, emergency responders found a package in the restroom that resembled an explosive device.

Crews were able to later determine that the device was fake.

Investigators collected camera footage and conducted interviews to determine any leads on suspects, a spokesperson for the Logan Police Department said.

During the investigation, police obtained an arrest warrant for a juvenile male who was a student at the high school. The student was arrested a day after the incident, on Thursday, and taken to the Multi-County Juvenile Detention Center.

He was charged with inducing panic and unlawful possession or use of a hoax weapon of mass destruction, both fourth degree felonies, public records showed.

The Logan-Hocking School District suspended classes and attendance for two days, Thursday and Friday, while investigators collected evidence throughout the school campus, the school district’s spokesperson said.

Although the school wants to “support” their students’ desire to make their voices heard and to assemble peacefully, the district denounced any forms of protest that created “safety and liability concerns,” the district’s spokesperson said.

“We are reviewing footage of the protest this week and plan to discipline students who were breaking the student code of conduct, displaying disrespectful behavior or acting in an unsafe manner,” the spokesperson said.

However, the district did reassure students that anyone who protested peacefully would face no disciplinary actions for this event.

“Moving forward, students wishing to use school facilities to engage in peaceful protests or other assembly as a group to express ideas or opinions may permissibly do so as approved by the administration before the beginning of the school day or after the end of the school day, or at any other time when school buildings are not in use for school purposes, per our student conduct policies,” the spokesperson informed.

“Any student who fails to attend class or who walks out of class for any reason can face discipline per our normal attendance policies. In addition, students may face discipline if they cause disruption of school operations,” the spokesperson continued.

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