Cops: Juvenile Charged In False School Threat Report

GROTON, CT — Wednesday morning, school officials got an anonymous tip that a Fitch High School student was in possession of a gun and a bomb. It turned out to be a false report but not before police and schools sprang into action.

At around 8:45 a.m, Groton Town Police, including the school resource officer and members of the patrol and Criminal Investigation Divisions "immediately responded to the school to initiate an investigation," according to a press release from Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro.

School officials quickly instituted security measures while the investigation was active, he said.

"During the course of the investigation numerous witnesses were interviewed and a juvenile suspect was identified and found to have been the source of this information. The investigation revealed that the subject intentionally falsely reported the threat and that the details were not credible. School authorities have been assisting with this investigation and at this time there is no threat to the school."

Police said the youth was arrested, given a juvenile court referral and released to their guardian. They were charged with first-degree falsely reporting an incident, first-degree threatening, and second-degree breach of peace.

"The Groton Police Department would like to assure the community that these matters are taken very seriously," the statement from Fusaro read.