SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A 14-year-old student at South Portland's Mahoney Middle School was summonsed Wednesday with one count of terrorizing, accused of making threats against both the school and other fellow students.
South Portland Police Lt. Frank Clark said the school's resource officer (SRO) was contacted by school staff on Feb. 28 reporting alleged threats made by one student against the school and other students earlier that day.
A few students opted to stay home March 1 due to the threats, police said.
According to Lt. Clark, the school took action to prevent the student's return to the school while police began an investigation into the nature and level of the threat as well as whether or not a crime had been committed.
Police took action Wednesday morning and summonsed the 14-year-old.
Terrorizing, in this case, is a misdemeanor, Clark said — "substantially involving 'a threat to commit or cause to be committed a crime of violence dangerous to human life,' in which the 'probable consequence' is to place a person in 'reasonable fear that the crime will be committed.'"
Clark said there was no indication any other students were involved, or that the school or any student was ever in any imminent danger.
"In today’s world, we all must take these sorts of statements and reports seriously," Clark said. "I would like to highlight and commend the students who came forward and did the right thing by reporting their concerns."
An identify was not released because the student's a juvenile.
The case was expected to be referred to Juvenile Community Corrections.
