Juvenile Arrested and Charged with Making Bomb Threats at Marion County School

A 15 year old boy was arrested today in connection to bomb threats he allegedly made to Ridgedale Schools this week.

According to a release from Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles, the Ridgedale Local School District received bomb threats via email on September 9 and September 13.

Both incidents generated an extensive response and search of the campus by deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Troopers from the Marion Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, including an Explosive Ordnance Detecting K9 from OSP.

Additionally, the Ridgedale Local School District was closed Friday September 13 due to the threat.

Through the course of a lengthy and thorough investigation, deputies were able to develop a suspect and ultimately arrested a 15-year-old Ridgedale student.

The male suspect was charged with 2 counts of inducing panic and 2 counts of making terroristic threats. Formal charges will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office at a later date.

Sheriff Matt Bayles stated, “The Marion County Sheriff’s Office takes any and all threats of violence to our schools, students and staff seriously, and we will exhaust any and all available resources to ensure that those that threaten our schools will be held accountable.”

Sheriff Bayles thanked all of the deputies and troopers involved for their tireless efforts in the investigation. He also thanked the parents, students and staff of Ridgedale Local School District for their patience during the long and unsettling week.