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By Jay King
HOMETOWN NEWS
Two Boiling Springs Junior High 8th graders have been charged with possession or manufacturing a hoax or replica explosive device May 27 after a student alerted the school resource officer that the students might have a bomb.
According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, a student alerted BSJHS resource officer Jeff Belue around 1 p.m. that another student had what appeared to be a bomb in his book bag. The officer then determined the suspect student’s class schedule and proceeded to the classroom.
According to the department’s incident report, the officer approached the student, picked up his book bag and escorted him out of the classroom. The deputy asked the student if there was anything in the bag that might explode and was told no. The officer then asked what was in the bag that he had been bragging about, and the student said it was a “pipe-like” thing.
The two then proceeded to the School Resource Officer’s office whereupon the officer looked inside the bag and saw a device similar in appearance to a pipe bomb wrapped in black tape with what appeared to be fireworks protruding from one end along with a fuse.
The deputy advised the school administration of the situation as well as his supervisor and requested a member of the Hazardous Devices Units to respond to the school.
Upon further questioning, the student told authorities that he obtained the device from another student. Both students were then interviewed and given their Miranda rights. They were subsequently charged with possession or manufacturing a hoax or replica explosive device and disturbing school. They were then remanded to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
According to a statement from Spartanburg School District Two administration, both students will be recommended for expulsion. Also, Sheriff’ Chuck Wright said during a press conference on an unrelated matter last Wednesday that due to the quick response of the school’s resource officer and the speedy determination of the nature of the possible threat, it was decided not to evacuate the school.
Wright praised the quick response of the resource officer in minimizing the danger to the school.
According to statements made by both students, one gave the device to the other to take home. Deputy Mica Horton with the Hazardous devices Unit took custody of the device and rendered it safe.
The sheriff said that it was clear that the device was made to look like a pipe bomb and that if it was intended as a prank, it was a very poor one.
jking@hometown-news.com
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