Clayton teen admits school bomb threats, gets probation

By David Ibata

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A 14-year-old Clayton County youth Friday was ordered to serve up to two years’ probation and undergo a psychiatric evaluation after he admitted calling in bomb threats against Morrow High School, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The youth, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, told Clayton juvenile court Judge Steven C. Teske that he used stolen cell phones to call 911 with three bomb threats to the school Monday and Tuesday.

The Morrow freshman had threatened to blow up the school if he wasn’t paid $2 million.

The boy has been staying with relatives in Georgia. His mother flew in from Philadelphia to attend the court hearing and told the court she planned to take her son back to Pennsylvania.

Teske gave the youth probation but said the teen should first undergo the psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital before being allowed to leave the state.

Public defender Jerry Drayton Jr. told Channel 2, “Apparently, some friends put him [up] to it and told him it was a hoax and wouldn’t be taken as seriously as it was.”

The youth was arrested and charged with eight offenses, including three felony counts of making terrorist threats.

Besides upsetting students, parents and staff members, the hoaxes required a response by dozens of law enforcement officers and other emergency responders and cost the county more than $7,000 in manpower and equipment, Clayton County Sheriff Kem Kimbrough has said.