CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Two more students are being charged in connection with school safety threats in Kanawha County.
Kanawha County Prosecutor Debra Rusnak said authorities are filing the charges after working on the cases over the weekend. It has to do with a threat at Elkview Middle School.
“I was made aware of two more individuals that were involved in an incident that occurred last week and those individuals are in the process of being charged. I do believe they are middle school students,” Rusnak said during an appearance Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Rusnak and other county authorities announced back on Friday two other students had been charged with making terroristic threats in connection with threats at Sissonville Middle School and Riverside High School.
Meanwhile, South Charleston High School was placed on precautionary lockdown for a few hours Monday after some ammunition was found behind a bathroom stall. Police said they were unsure how long the ammunition had been there. Rusnak said “the explosive K9 unit was deployed, and no threat was found. There is an increased law enforcement presence at the school.”
Rusnak said all threats are being treated seriously.
“The children out there who are making these threats need to know that a terroristic threat is a criminal act whether or not you have the intent to commit the act you are talking about,” Rusnak said.
Professor Dr. Jeff Daniels of the WVU School of Counseling and Well-Being said the threats are difficult on many students.
“I’ve heard reports of students being in tears because there’s a threat issued against their school,” Daniels said Monday on “Talkline.” “It’s not just a simple thing.”
According to state law, juveniles under 12 are considered incompetent to stand trial. Rusnak said part of the process is proving competency.
The toughest part of these investigations is trying to determine the intent, Rusnak said.
“It’s probably the hardest part of what we’re doing here is figuring out whether or not the person intends to commit the crime but again, the law allows that cutout where you don’t actually have to intend to commit the act they are threatening to commit.
Daniels said the intent of terrorism is to invoke terror and to invoke fear.
“If those types of threats are made where you are in fact invoking fear and terror then that’s certainly what you’ve engaged in, a terroristic threat,” Daniels said.
Charges against juvenilies have also been filed in recent days in Preston, Wood, Logan and Hancock counties.
Gov. Jim Justice said there have been threats made on more than 40 schools this month.