Police find 12-year-old culprit in multiple school bomb threats, say knew could not be charged

Police in suburban Washington, D.C., say a 12-year-old has admitted to making seven bomb threats at public schools in the preteen's county.

The preteen has admitted having emailed the threats but cannot be charged, said Chief Marcus Jones of Maryland's  Montgomery County Police Department.

"Detectives spoke with the individual, who admitted responsibility," Jones said "However, in the state of Maryland, children under the age of 13 can only be charged with offenses that constitute a 'crime of violence.'"

He also said the preteen was aware that no legal repercussions could occur.

Law enforcement said Wednesday the threats were received by three schools: Montgomery Blair High School received five threats via email from Oct. 13-24, and Oak View Elementary School and Silver Spring International School received separate email threats on Oct. 15.

"It is disheartening to accept that the individual responsible for disrupting the educational process and instilling fear in our community was well aware of the legal limitations surrounding their age. They understood that they could not be charged under current Maryland statutes," Jones also said.

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