MADISON TOWNSHIP — Four Madison students were arrested Friday and multiple felony charges were leveled in a pair of threats made against the school this week, according to a press release from Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon.
“These two incidents of bomb threats were taken very seriously by Madison Schools and the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheldon stated in the release. “With the recent tragedies across the nation involving school violence, the Sheriff’s Office has consulted with the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office to charge these students with the most serious offenses in hopes of deterring future threats.
“We encourage students that if they see or hear of any threats towards other students or the school to report the information so that it can be investigated immediately.”
On Tuesday, March 20, at 11:50 a.m. there was a bomb threat made at Madison High School, the sheriff said. A note was found in the girl’s bathroom that stated, “School will blow up at 2:00 pm.” School Officials evacuated students with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office. The school was searched and nothing was found.
On Friday, a female student was arrested in connection to the bomb threat and transported to the Richland County Juvenile Attention Center. She will be charged with Inducing Panic, a second-degree felony, Sheldon noted.
Madison’s School administration and Richland County Sheriff Deputies worked jointly on the investigation.
Sheldon said that on Thursday, March 22 at 10:22 a.m., Madison High School was made aware of another note written of a bomb threat to occur at 1 p.m. Madison School Administration and Sheriff Deputies worked jointly on the investigation and identified three students as being involved in the threat.
Those three students were arrested Friday and transported to the Richland County Juvenile Attention Center, the sheriff said. Two of the students were charged with Inducing Panic and the third student was charged with Obstructing Justice, a third-degree felony, for providing false information to deputies.
