A 17-year-old Ponderosa High School junior who was arrested Friday in connection with a disturbance that led to the Parker school’s evacuation has been booked into a youth detention facility.
The boy, whose name has not been released, was being held at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center for investigation of possession or use of explosives or incendiary devices, unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds, and interference with school staff, said Cocha Heyden, Douglas County sheriff’s spokeswoman.
After a loud noise was heard near the school Friday morning, authorities found the youth to be carrying chemicals that could have been used to produce the noise in his backpack and took him into custody, Heyden said. Ponderosa students were sent home for the day.
The district attorney’s office will decide whether to file formal charges, Heyden said. No one was hurt, and authorities believe the student’s intent was only to scare classmates.
In response to the incident, Douglas County schools Superintendent Jim Christensen said Friday the district should discuss whether to close its schools on each April 20, the anniversary date of the Columbine High School massacre and a date where school disturbances and threats have become common.
