Authorities explain seriousness of charges when someone makes threats against schools

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Channel 9 is getting a new perspective following a series of bomb threats.

Just this week, seven bomb threats were made at four Cabarrus County Schools over a three-day period. Now, two juveniles are facing charges in connection to those threats.

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• Parents concerned after threat triggers evacuation of high school in Cabarrus County

On Friday, Reporter Hannah Goetz got a behind-the-scenes look at just how serious the charges are and what someone can expect to go through if they make a threat.

Concord police are handling the investigation of the robocall threats at Cox Mill High School that caused a huge disruption for three days earlier in the week. The case will start at the police department and eventually make its way to the county courthouse.

“When you make the decision to commit this type of offense and to put the fear that you put into all of these people, then you are going to have to accept the consequences that you are going to receive,” Deputy Chief Jimmy Hughes said.

After days of lockdowns and evacuations, police have identified the juvenile they said is responsible for making telephone bomb threats to several Cabarrus County Schools.

“When you are arrested as a juvenile, you would come into a room just like this,” Hughes said.

He walked Goetz through the department and into an interview room to show how a case like this could play out.

“When you are arrested as a juvenile, you would come into a room just like this, and you would sit in a chair just like you are sitting in this chair here. And the police officer is going to speak with you, with your parent present, about what it is you’ve been accused of doing, and you are going to have to make that decision on how you are going to react not only in front of your parents, but in front of a law enforcement officer as well,” Hughes said.

Channel 9 learned there are two juveniles who investigators said made separate bomb threats and in both cases, police had to search their homes to determine if the threat was real.

“If you are a juvenile and you have committed this type of offense, and law enforcement responds to your house, we have to ensure that you do not have access to weapons. We have to ensure you do not have access to bomb-making material. That means we are going to go through your house. We are going to search your house and we are going to look for those things that you had at home, that you felt were private, are going to be searched because we have to be sure there is nothing that can be used against the public,” Hughes said.

He said threats like the ones made to schools this week are a much bigger problem than some might realize, and so are the consequences.

“And the consequences are, you are going to be located. We are going to figure out who you are, (you are) going to be charged in this case through the juvenile justice system. And once you’re charged, you are going to go to court and you are going to face your court date, and then once you’re convicted, you are going to receive whatever the punishment is that is deemed by that judge,” Hughes said. “Not only do you have the immediate consequences, but the long-lasting consequences, so when you think about going to school in the future, when you think about trying to find a job in the future, all of this follows you.”

The juvenile in this case is facing four counts of making a false report concerning mass violence on educational property.

Juvenile Justice told Goetz that the kids could be held in a secure detention facility, and after the police report is filed they will go to court and face a judge as the district attorney tries the case.

(WATCH BELOW: Juvenile identified in connection with bomb threats at 2 Cabarrus County schools, police say)

Juvenile identified in connection with bomb threats at 2 Cabarrus County schools, police say

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