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A Bertie County juvenile stands charged after making threats of mass violence last week against two public schools in Hertford County.

On March 25, Chief David Griffith with the Murfreesboro Police Department informed the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office that Hertford County Middle School received a bomb threat by phone.

Upon arrival, HCSO deputies learned that the caller stated they would “blow up” the school. Just a few minutes later, the unidentified person called back stating “your school about to get shot up.” This call was made using the same number as the previous call and appeared to be the same person calling.

Explosive Detection Canines were requested from Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and East Carolina University Police Department. No explosive devices were located.

During this time, a call was made to the Hertford County High School from the same number that called the middle school. The caller stated, “just because the middle school is on lockdown doesn’t mean y’all can’t get shot up too.”

That prompted HCSO investigators to request an exigent circumstances trace of the number that called both the high school and middle school and subsequently learned the call came from an address in Bertie County.

Investigators said through the phone trace and leads from different social media accounts, it was believed the calls were made by a juvenile.

With the assistance from Bertie County Sheriff’s Office, HCSO deputies and Murfreesboro Police officers went to the address in Bertie County and located the juvenile in question. The juvenile later admitted to making the calls. Juvenile petitions for Communicating a Threat of Mass Violence on Educational Property were obtained by Murfreesboro Police Department for the threats at the middle school. The Hertford County Sheriff’s Office obtained Juvenile Petitions for the threat made to the high school.

The juvenile was placed in secured custody until his first hearing in court.

Chief Griffith and Sheriff Dexter Hayes both praised the work of their respective staffs in an effort to identify the person allegedly involved in making the threats.

Griffith and Hayes thanked the Ahoskie Police Department, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, East Carolina University Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Hertford County Emergency Management, Hertford County EMS and the Murfreesboro Fire Department for the assistance they provided.