Centralia Police now say two 11-year-old female students in the Centralia City School District have been arrested in connection with separate threats made to the school. City Grade School District 135 cancelled classes on Thursday while the investigation was on going.
Centralia Police conducted the investigation into the first case, identified the source of the threat as an eleven-year-old, and arrested her for felony disorderly conduct. At the same time, the parents of the second 11-year-old girl who had made a separate threat was brought to the police station by her parents who thought her post was the one causing the investigation. After confessing, she was also charged with felony disorderly conduct.
Centralia Police Lieutenant Steve Whritenour believes the threats were made independently and were not tied together. Both of the threats were made over Snapchat, which Whritenour says fully cooperated in the investigation.
Whritenour says the first investigation began on Wednesday at 2:30pm, when the Centralia Police Department was informed by the Centralia City School SRO there was a threat to harm anyone that went to the Centralia Junior High School tomorrow (September 12, 2024). A second tip was made by the public. Once receiving this information, the Centralia Police Department immediately began investigating the threat and contacted the Centralia City School officials.
The Patrol Division was able to quickly determine where the message originated and was able to take an 11-year-old female in custody. The mother of the 11-year-old fully cooperated with police and was able to bring this case to a close.
The Marion County States Attorney’s Office along with the Marion County Probation Department were contacted per protocol and the 11-year-olds did not qualify for detainment and were released to a family member.
