PLYMOUTH, Ohio – A local juvenile and a Parma Heights teen are in custody in connection with threats made Sunday against several Plymouth High School students that led to the school being closed Tuesday.
According to Plymouth Police Chief Charles Doan, on Tuesday morning, a Parma Heights juvenile confessed to involvement in the incident after being questioned by Plymouth and Parma Heights police. The juvenile was taken into custody and formally charged Wednesday morning in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Doan said Wednesday that an officer from Plymouth transported the suspect to the Richland County Juvenile Detention Center.
After questioning the Parma Heights juvenile, a local juvenile suspect was questioned and also confessed to involvement in the incident. The local suspect is being held at the Richland County Juvenile Detention Facility and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning.
Doan said that at approximately 7:56 a.m. Monday morning, the Plymouth Police Department was notified that students had received disturbing messages Sunday evening on their cell phones saying, “Do you know what you and Kurt Cobain have in common? Go to school tomorrow and find out.”
Officers from Plymouth Police Department responded to the school, along with a deputy from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and detectives from the Huron County Sheriff’s Office. Doan said that within 20 minutes, subpoenas were being issued for all available cell phone information.
By 11 a.m. Monday, law enforcement had the cell phone number used to transmit the threats and the owner’s information. This information allowed them to locate a suspect and determine a connection between the suspect and the local student. A connection was also established between the local student and the victims.
“In less than three hours of notification, the suspects were identified and within a day, the case is cleared,” Doan said. “We are blessed to have dedicated sheriffs in our counties and dedicated people that work here.”
After word got out around the school on Monday about the threats, approximately 70 percent of the students contacted their parents and left school. Tuesday, Superintendent James Metcalf decided to close all schools in the district. Schools were back in session on Wednesday.
