03/22/2024
**For Immediate Release from Sheriff Robert Blair**
On March 21, 2024 at approximately 9:08 am, Deputies responded to a bomb threat at Hedgesville High School in Hedgesville, WV. The threat came in through an online reporting system. Once on scene, Deputies worked with school officials to evacuate staff & students. Bomb detecting K-9s arrived on scene later and did a sweep of the school. There were no explosive devices detected during the sweep. Students were able to return to the school afterwards & resume class.
Investigators with the Criminal Investigations Division immediately started investigating the origin of the bomb threat. They, along with assistance from the West Virginia Fusion Center, were able to identify a suspect. The suspect, a juvenile, was found to be a student at another high school in Berkeley County. Investigators located the suspect and interviewed him after his parents arrived at the school. They were able to determine that the juvenile did not have the means to carry out the threat. The juvenile will be charged with terroristic threats for making the bomb threat.
Sheriff Blair would like to thank the following agencies that assisted us in the response to the school and the subsequent investigation: Berkeley County Schools, West Virginia State Police, Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms, & Explosives, Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, Martinsburg Police Department, Frederick County, VA Fire, West Virginia Fusion Center, and West Virginia Fusion Center director, Jack Luikart.
