THIRD STUDENT BEING CHARGED IN CLAY SCHOOL "COLUMBINE LIKE" THREAT

(05/20/2016)
West Virginia State Police said Thursday that a third juvenile is being charged in connection with what school administrators described as Columbine-style threats made at Clay Middle School.

The juvenile petition against the 13-year-old male carries the same charges as those previously filed against the other two juveniles - making terroristic threats, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder, Lt. Michael Baylous, spokesman for the West Virginia State Police, said.

State Police said the other two juveniles previously charged are a 13-year-old male and a 15-year-old male.

Clay County School Superintendent Kenneth Tanner said previously that three students were planning to carry out a Columbine-style attack at the school.

"This was very real. This was not something students were doing for attention," Tanner said. "Had it been carried out, it would have been devastating -- very deadly."

The threats prompted fear throughout the community, shutting down Clay County schools for several days and prompting parents to turn out a school board meeting where they demanded answers for what exactly happened and what action was being taken.

Officials have said the students have been removed from the school.

State Police said since the defendants in this case are juveniles, no further information will be released.

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