Wareham High School student charged for threatening to “shoot up the school”

During the afternoon of Monday, March 5th, a juvenile aged Wareham High School student was placed under arrest after making a verbal threat to teachers to “shoot up the school”. The matter was immediately addressed by school officials and School Resource Officer Karl Baptiste, who placed the juvenile under arrest without incident at the school.

Investigation of the incident determined no students or staff were in immediate danger at the time the threat, which the juvenile stated was made without true thought or intention. The threat was made as a verbal statement, and the student was not in possession of any type of weapon at the time the statement was made.

Chief Kevin Walsh praised the decisive actions taken by school officials and the SRO, stating, “While placing a juvenile under arrest is not a preferred action in many cases, statements made as threats toward the safety of students and school staff will be addressed with all seriousness and will not be tolerated.”

The juvenile was expected to be arraigned this morning at Wareham District Court on the following criminal offenses:

1. Bomb/Weapons Threat (MGL 269 S14)
2. Disturbing a School Assembly