Teen charged with making threats to Montgomery County high school

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A 17-year-old in Montgomery County is in jail after making a number of threats targeting people at a high school.

FOX 5 is still working to find out what high school received these threats but right now, police in Montgomery County won't reveal that information.

What we know:

The teen is facing a number of charges, including making threats of mass violence.

About a month ago, on March 18, detectives with the police department's community engagement division were called to a high school in the county after the student allegedly left a voicemail on the school line threatening the principal and specific demographic groups, including a religious group. 

The suspect, who is a minor, has been charged with threats of mass violence and a hate crime.

What they're saying:

FOX 5 spoke with retired law enforcement officer and school safety expert Arif Halaby who says people who make these kinds of threats could be seeking attention. 

"It’s the attention and the fame. I have seen time and again the same reason people will do things," Halaby said. "There is a cry for help. There is an internal sense of needing to be important, valuable on somebody else’s lips."

Halaby says the school shootings this week in Texas and Florida are a reminder of the times we live in but also believes whether schools like it or not, they have to step up their school safety training.

"We are starting to see a pattern. It always seems to come in waves of course, it’s an unfortunate event. This particular shooting in Florida, was a law enforcement officers’ child. It goes to show you that nobody is immune, it doesn’t matter who you are as a professional," Halaby said.

What's next:

FOX 5 did reach out to Montgomery County public schools about the arrest of one of their students and where the threat was made they told us "it’s a police matter."

Police say there is no credible threat to the community.