Will My Child Get in Trouble for Making Prank Threats Against His School? 

 Posted on February 13, 2023 in Juvenile Offenses

Schools all over the nation are dealing with a tragic uptick in fatal shooting events. But lurking under the surface of real threats is another, lesser-known phenomenon: Teens who make prank calls about bombs and shootings to their school or peers. Sometimes, in an eagerness to prove they are trying to do something to stem the flow of school threats, police and school administrators will take action even against kids whose unrelated statements or actions are obliquely interpreted to constitute a potential threat. 

Whether your child is in trouble for making a hoax threat or for simply saying something that got misinterpreted, understand that there will likely be consequences from officials trying to make an example out of one child in order to reassure a troubled public. Getting help from a juvenile defense attorney as soon as you find out your child is in trouble can help your child secure the best chance of fighting against any charges against him. 

Consequences of School Shooting and Bombing Hoax Calls

In October of last year, a 15-year-old was arrested after making a hoax call threatening a school shooting in Illinois. The school was placed on lockdown and police swarmed the school and nearby schools until they could establish that the call had come from inside the school and that there was no active threat. However, the teenager who made the call was arrested and turned over to a juvenile detention center. He was later charged with enhanced disorderly conduct, which is a Class 4 felony in Illinois. 

Someone convicted at age 15 of a felony may face time in juvenile detention, house arrest, or some other secured facility; he may also be ordered to perform many hours of community service, be placed on long-term probation, and make restitution of some kind; however, if that person is 16 or 17 years old, he may be charged as an adult for a felony and face prison time and fines up to $25,000. 

In many cases, making threats against a school is a federal crime. Even if the threat was only texted, written on a piece of scrap paper, posted on social media and then deleted, or whispered to a friend in class, the student who makes the threat could face serious consequences from the federal government. This means a joke could see a young adult start their lives off in prison and be marked forever as a felon. 

Contact a Naperville, IL Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyer

Even if it is clear to you that your child’s threats were a joke, you need to know that he could still face serious consequences for his actions. At Law Office of Philip R. Nathe, we know that kids make dumb mistakes and deserve a second chance. We will fight to protect your child’s reputation and criminal record and do our best to help him avoid long-term consequences. Call 630-416-7600 today and schedule a free consultation with our Naperville, IL juvenile criminal defense attorney. 

Sources: 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/10/fake-school-shooting-threats-getting-kids-arrested/600238/

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K26-1

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/hoax-threats-awareness-100518