MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Texas teenager is now charged with making a bomb threat which disrupted a recent meeting of the Martinsburg City Council.
Authorities arrested the 15-year old suspect in Muleshoe, Texas May 10th. According to investigators the teen was charged with a third-degree felony in Bailey County, TX for making terrorist threats. He’s additionally charged with disruption of a government event related to the incident which broke up a Martinsburg City Council meeting. Police said he faces five more charges connected to similar incidents across the country where he’s accused of calling in bomb threats.
Investigators say he contacted various police departments across the nation, falsely claiming he had placed bombs on their patrol cars and threatened to shoot officers upon their arrival. The practice is commonly called “swatting” by making false calls to initiate an overwhelming response to a certain area, possibly by a police “SWAT” team.
“The arrest of this individual is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and security; of our community. We are grateful for the collaboration and swift action taken by law enforcement agencies across multiple states to bring this case to a resolution.” said Martinsburg Police Chief Erin Gibbons in a press release.
Gibbons credited a long list of law enforcement bodies locally, in Texas, and nationwide for cooperation leading to the arrest.
The Martinsburg incident occurred following the public portion of a contentious meeting in which a pro Palestinian group had sought a proclamation from the city council to support a cease fire in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. The police press release did not indicate whether the teen’s actions were potentially connected to the controversial issue.