A 16-year-old male, who officials say is not a current student at Apollo High School, was charged with second-degree terroristic threatening. Daviess County Sheriff’s Office was anonymously tipped off Monday about a potential forthcoming incident, in which the juvenile threatened to shoot a female AHS student as she boarded the school bus.
A DCSO report revealed details about the juvenile’s intent to harm a female student and stated that these threats were made via Snapchat.
According to reports, the juvenile planned to shoot the student as she exited the AHS school building on Tuesday to board the bus. The juvenile claimed he would use a .22 caliber pistol to perform the act, and then shoot himself afterward.
After receiving the tip, Owensboro Police Department conducted a search of the juvenile’s residence. A .22 caliber handgun was turned over to OPD by the juvenile’s father, along with four boxes of ammunition.
The police report contains graphic details and statements the juvenile made in regard to killing the female student. These details were uncovered through the juvenile’s Snapchat statements.
DCSO Chief Deputy Major Barry Smith said the female student had already filed an interpersonal protective order against the juvenile for threats he had previously made toward students.
AHS Principal Rick Lasley released an email on Wednesday, confirming that the suspect was not a current student at the school, but that he was a former AHS student. Lasley said once these threats were brought to the attention of school administrators and law enforcement, an immediate investigation took place and charges were made.
“The juvenile who made these threats was not on campus, nor was there ever a weapon at our school,” Lasley wrote. “However, this juvenile was a former student at Apollo.”
Lasley said the juvenile remains in custody and, at this time, there’s no indication any other parties were involved. Lasley also wrote that this incident had no relation to the burglary that took place at AHS two weeks before, nor to an event AHS communicated earlier in the week.
Owensboro Times reached out to AHS administration for further details about the event earlier this week, but was unable to confirm before publishing.
“We encourage parents and families to talk to their children about the consequences of making threats, and the importance of immediately reporting any threat or issue of concern to law enforcement or a trusted adult,” Lasley wrote.
