(PRESS RELEASE) - On Wednesday, December 19, 2012, at approximately 6:00 p.m. the Mercer County Sheriff's Department received a report, from a parent of a Montcalm High School student, in reference to rumor of a mass killing planned for Thursday, December 20, 2012, which was to take place at Montcalm High School to coincide with the Myan calendar end of the world prediction. The Mercer County Sheriff's Department and officials with the Mercer County school system contacted several Montcalm High School students who had heard of the rumor but were unable to pinpoint the source of the rumor. A plan was formulated to have the Sheriff's Department and the WV State Police at Montcalm High School on Thursday, December 20, 2012 to provide for the safety and security of the students and school personnel.
Thursday, December 20, 2012, law enforcement officers used hand held metal detectors to scan all students entering the school building and all vehicles coming onto the school property were searched. The school was searched by the Sheriff's K9 officers. No weapons or devices were found. Upone clearing Montcalm High School additional information was received from the Mercer County Board of Education that the rumor had spread and was now directed towards Princeton High School, Princeton Middle School and the Mercer County Technical Education Center. The Mercer County Sheriff's Department and the WV State Police responded to those locations to assist the Princeton Police Department with securing those schools and conducting a search of the students and property. Nothing was found at Princeton schools.
WV State Code 61-6-24 states that any person who knowingly and willfully threatens to commit a terrorist act, with or without the intent to commit the act is guilty of a felony crime and shall be fined not less that $5,000 nor more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not less than a year nor more than three years, or both fine and imprisoned.
The Mercer County Sheriff's Department is continuing the investigation to determine the person or persons responsible for this threat.
