CEDAR CITY, Utah, Dec. 9, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A juvenile has been arrested after police followed leads and evidence regarding threats that had been made against Cedar High School on Monday and Tuesday.
It was learned that the calls — one reporting a bomb at the school and the other call reporting a man with a gun — were made on a cellphone that had been reported stolen, said a news release from Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock.
“Investigators reviewed video evidence and received information from the cellphone provider to narrow the search to a single suspect,” the news release said.
The suspect was identified as a 15-year-old boy. He was arrested and taken to youth corrections, where he is facing the following charges:
- Abuse of 911 (for the bomb threat), a second-degree felony
- Abuse of 911 (for the man with a gun threat), a third-degree felony
- Misdemeanor theft
“After interviewing the suspect, we want assure the public there remain no valid threats, no public safety risk, and Cedar High School will resume classes as normal tomorrow,” the news release said.
Additionally, it said, other officers will be at the school for extra security.
“We want to thank the Iron County School District, Cedar High Staff, and all the agencies that assisted with these incidents,” the release concluded.
Cedar High School was locked down twice, the first time on Monday after officials were notified of the possible bomb threat.
A 911 call reporting the potential bomb threat was received at about 2:08 p.m., and school administrators were notified immediately, according to a news release Monday.
The school was safely evacuated when officers arrived.
“A preliminary search of the building was conducted where a bag was located that appeared to be suspicious,” said the Monday news release. “A bomb sniffing canine and the St. George bomb squad were called in to assist.”
It was determined that there was no valid threat and the lockdown was lifted, a subsequent news release said.
On Tuesday, at about 12:23 p.m., Cedar Communications received a 911 call about a male dressed in black, wearing a black mask and with a gun at the school, according to a news release. Again, Iron County law enforcement and school administration were immediately notified.
The school was again placed on a level 2 lockdown, officers searched the school and reviewed video, and determined the call was a hoax and had been made from the same phone number that had reported the bomb threat a day earlier.
